Illinois has a long history of corrupt politicians, and now the Chicago-area village of Dolton has its own to add to the list. Mayor Tiffany Henyard, a Democrat who self identifies as “Super Mayor,” now faces an investigation after village trustees passed a resolution calling for a federal investigation into Henyard’s stewardship of the community.
The allegations against Henyard are numerous and startling. She has been accused of misappropriating village funds, taking lavish vacations on the taxpayers’ dime, using members of the village police force as her own personal security detail, using that same police force to harass citizens who refuse to donate to her charity, and using village assets to promote herself personally.
Four of six supervisors voted to investigate Henyard at a village meeting last Thursday. Henyard did not attend the meeting.
“She has taken lavish trips with village staff, and has caused the village to be in a multi-million dollar deficit,” said Trustee Jason House.
Another trustee lamented that the Board has no idea how village funds are being used.
“There’s a lot of mismanagement of funds and we just want some clarity so we can move forward and understand what’s going on with all the spending,” said Dolton Trustee Kiana Belcher.
Several village police cars were almost repossessed when payments went unmade.
“It is a deadly sin that you could have lost six of your police cars, and when you lose police cars you lose police officers too, but she chose to keep her payments on her security detail,” said Burt Odelson, an attorney representing the Village Board as its legislative counsel.
“It’s the oddest situation I’ve seen in my fifty years of representing municipalities,” Odelson told WGN. “The village prosecutor is acting as [Henyard’s] lawyer and doing work without the authority of the village board. Bills aren’t getting paid. The poor village is seven million dollars in debt and she goes on Las Vegas junkets.”
“That seems to be the most obnoxious thing she’s done but it is not, there’s many, many more,” Odelson said.
Angry village residents crowded the village meeting on Thursday and broke into raucous applause as Henyard’s misdeeds were enumerated.
Among the most heinous charges against Henyard is that she has weaponized the police force to harass those who won’t donate to her charity — the Tiffany Henyard Cares Foundation. Last week, the Illinois Attorney General’s office sent a cease and desist letter to the charity, advising the charity that it needs to register with the state before soliciting or receiving further donations.
Business owner Lawrence Gardner claims he was targeted in this way. His trucking business was closed last year after the village accused him of selling liquor without a license. Garder has no question about why his business was targeted.
“Because I wouldn’t donate the money anymore. I wouldn’t give her any more money,” Gardner said.
Multiple bars in the village have also been targeted, with their liquor licenses being held up for political reasons.
“I’m sure that they were asked to donate [to Henyard], make a donation, and most likely they didn’t make a donation. So you don’t get a chance to stay open if you don’t pay the queen’s ransom,” Village Trustee Tammie Brown speculated.
That “weaponized” police force reportedly also functions as private security for Henyard. She is accused of taking “several officers” off the street to act as a security detail.
“I think that she spends the money on security because she just loves it. She likes the thought of being surrounded by police officers. I think it makes her feel more important,” said trustee Brittney Norwood. “The police are simply working under her instructions, but it’s also sad. It’s sad because we need the police patrolling the streets, and they’re with her instead.”
Henyard refuses to allow the Board of Trustees access to the village’s financial statements, so the only notification they receive is when vendors complain about not being paid.
“She has pillaged the village, and it’s all gonna come out,” said Odelson. “No one has access to any of the checks she’s written, the bills she’s paid. All we know about is the bills she hasn’t paid because the vendors are suing.”
Henyard commented on the rancor surrounding her at a meeting in early February.
“You all forget I’m the leader. They want to hear from the mayor. You all ain’t learned that yet. The mayor, not the trustees that don’t do nothing. They only run their mouth. You all don’t do no work, no work!” the abusive mayor proclaimed.
“Y’all got false narratives out there, and y’all should be ashamed of y’all selves. Y’all Black. Y’all are Black! And y’all sitting up here beating and attacking on a Black woman that’s in power. Y’all should be ashamed of y’all selves,” the mayor concluded.
Residents voted to recall Henyard in 2022, but a court ruled that the question of whether to recall was not stated clearly enough, which allowed her to stay in office.
