A woman dubbed ‘America’s worst mayor’ will be probed by former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot after her town vetoed her attempts to block any investigation – the decision sent a town meeting into chaos.
Police, on Monday, were forced to break up the room as the situation devolved following a 4-2 vote by the town board to reinstate Lightfoot, who will conduct an investigation into Mayor Tiffany Henyard.
The Dolton mayor – who spoke into a golden microphone during the meeting – is currently under federal investigation, as well as immense pressure from her constituents to resign.
She is being probed for allegedly misusing town finances, which trustees say has led to a deficit of more than $5million.
The incident occurred after more than two hours of heated debate, during which village residents poured into the chamber to air their considerable grievances against Henyard.
Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard addresses her furious constituents at a town meeting Monday night using a golden microphone
Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, referred to as ‘America’s worst mayor,’ is currently under federal investigation, as well as immense pressure from her constituents to resign
Former Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot will move ahead with her investigation into Dolton, Illinois mayor Tiffany Henyard
The town board previously attempted to hire former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot – who worked for years as a federal prosecutor – to lead a special investigation into Henyard.
The request was vetoed by Henyard, as was one that would have opened up an inquiry into some of her questionable behavior and spending habits.
Henyard claimed the board’s hiring of Lightfoot as a special investigator for $400 per hour was ‘unconstitutional infringement of the powers of the office of mayor.’
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One resident blasted Henyard before the board and audience: ‘You’re not going to understand until they come and put cuffs on you,’ she said, referring to the FBI probe currently pending against the town leader.
Trustee Jason House, who was previously voted in as mayor pro tempore at a previous meeting, requested that Lightfoot be allowed to deliver remarks after the Monday night meeting.
Lightfoot was in attendance at the public gathering, but Henyard denied the request, which she deemed ‘political grandstanding.’
She called for a hasty adjournment of the meeting, which upset many members of the audience.
But Lightfoot stood anyway and made her way to the podium, where she was able to briefly address attendees before her microphone was cut off by staff of the mayor.
In a statement released after the meeting, Lightfoot commended the board’s decision to override Henyard’s veto. She also underscored her commitment to conducting a thorough and fair investigation.
‘I look forward to the work ahead and urge Mayor Henyard and her administration to fully cooperate with this investigation by promptly providing the requested documentation to give all concerned a complete and accurate accounting of the fiscal conditions for the village,’ she said.
Trustees in Dolton voted to hire former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (pictured) to investigate the embattled mayor, which was initially vetoed by Henyard, but overridden by the town board on Monday night
Lightfoot has been working on the investigation throughout the veto process, though she has not yet been paid for her work, reports NBC Chicago.
The formal investigation is expected to wrap up in 60 days
Henyard blamed the media for the heat she is currently experiencing.
‘You guys are following a fiction, made up story,’ she said,
At present, Henyard is under federal investigation, and was recently served federal subpoenas seeking records about trips taken by city officials and potential financial mismanagement.
The 40-year-old municipal leader has developed a nationally terrible reputation for her confrontational antics, failure to do her job, alleged corruption and apparent disdain for her constituents, whom she has berated publicly and once with the assistance of a DJ.
Since her election in 2021, Henyard has faced allegations of corruption, fraud and financial mismanagement, including a lawsuit filed a month ago claiming she worked to cover-up a sexual assault on a trip to Las Vegas in 2023.
Dolton trustees have estimated that the village in Cook County is approximately out of $5 million due to Henyard’s trips, multiple lawsuits against her, credit card usage and her police security detail.
One woman at a previous town meeting said: ‘You’re not accountable, you don’t respect people who don’t agree with you, you’re not qualified for that seat.’
Tiffany Henyard, 40, of Dolton, Illinois, has repeatedly been dubbed America’s Worst Mayor as she attempts to fight federal investigations into the potentially criminal mismanagement of her office
Alongside the embattled mayor, Dolton Village Administrator Keith Freeman was also one subject of the subpoenas, which asked for information that included reimbursements involving his businesses.
One subpoena reportedly focuses solely on Henyard, and includes a section focused on a restaurant and a property management company she owns, as well as her political fund and the cancer charity that bears her name.
The subpoena seeks all records including personnel files, wage and tax statements, time and attendance records, records of work performed, contracts, and checks written to ‘cash.’
The second subpoena requests township records, including financial reports, budgets, payroll records, and ordinances covering credit card purchases, expense reimbursements, security details and use of vehicles.