The FBI is probing the self-described ‘super-mayor’ of a small Illinois town over mounting allegations of misconduct and misuse of office.
Tiffany Henyard, 40, had her charity shut down Tuesday by the Illinois Attorney General over alleged financial corruption.
‘Tiffany Henyard Cares’ was ordered to stop seeking contributions. Prior reporting found that Henyard used taxpayer money and the services of public employees to support the charity, which was not registered with the AG’s office.
Henyard’s notorious misuse of public funds, on expenditures that include personal styling, travel, and an outlandish salary, have allegedly plunged the tiny town of Dolton into $5million of debt.
A spokesman for the over-the-top mayor said her office is unaware of any pending investigation. They told the New York Post: ‘Mayor Tiffany Henyard and the Village of Dolton have not received any subpoenas and have not been contacted by the FBI or any other law enforcement agency.’
The beleaguered leader has previously lashed out at the town’s board and her constituents for criticizing her, accusing her detractors of ‘attacking a black woman that’s in power.’
Tiffany Henyard, 40, is accused of of shutting down businesses that refused to donate to her campaign, just weeks after being slammed for using city money to fund her glamorous looks
Dalton Mayor Tiffany Henyard posted a video of herself with President Joe Biden at the White House after coming under fire for her high salary and questionable spending
The FBI, citing the pending investigation, declined to comment. Though, local residents say agents who have approached them about the case say they have received dozens of complaints about Henyard.
‘She said we are going to get her,’ one resident said, referring to an FBI agent. ‘It just takes time. We have to make sure we have all our i’s dotted and t’s crossed.’
Henyard, the first female mayor of the tiny Illinois village, has been accused of shutting down businesses that refuse to donate to her campaign. She was previously slammed for using city money to fund her glamorous looks.
She’s also accused of using official position within the town to retaliate against those who do not comply with her wishes, the New York Post revealed.
Residents claim she adopts the persona of movie gangster Nino Brown from the 1991 film ‘New Jack City’ during official meetings, dressing in an ensemble designed to instill fear.
‘People look at politics like a joke, it’s like a mockery right now because of all this stuff,’ Village of Dolton Trustee Kiana Belcher told The Post. ‘She comes to board meetings dressed like Nino Brown.’
During a meeting, she reportedly signaled for a DJ to play Rihanna’s ‘B***h Better Have My Money,’ while fully committing to her Nino Brown persona, even carrying a small stuffed dog reminiscent of a scene from the movie.
Residents claim she adopts the persona of movie gangster Nino Brown from the 1991 film ‘New Jack City’ during official meetings, dressing in an ensemble designed to instill fear
During a meeting, she reportedly signaled for a DJ to play Rihanna ‘s ‘Bitch Better Have My Money,’ while fully committing to her Nino Brown persona, even carrying a small stuffed dog reminiscent of a scene from the movie
One resident, Lawrence Gardner, claimed that Henyard forced the closure of his trucking business after he refused to renew a $3,500 contribution to her political fund.
‘I made the payment,’ he said. ‘Then every year she started coming and required the same thing, and we had a problem about that.’
‘What is she, Nino Brown?’ he said. ‘Anything she wants done, she gets them to harass you. She likes nobody. If you are not doing what she say, if you are not doing how she’s saying to do it, you are a problem. She don’t like them.’
Gardner told the post, he would like to ‘be there’ when Henyard is eventually ‘handcuffed’ for her misdeeds.
Trustee Kiana Belcher also alleges that former Police Chief Robert Collins admitted to being directed by the mayor to target individuals.
Earlier this month, she was slammed by her critics at a public meeting after she caused outrage by taking a $300,000 salary.
Henyard was elected leader of Dolton, a village of 20,000, in 2021, but has since come under fire for what many see as her excessive spending.
‘You all should be ashamed of yourselves because you all are black. You all are black! And you all sitting up here beating and attacking a black woman that’s in power,’ she said at a recent meeting, gesturing toward her status as the first female mayor. ‘You all should be ashamed of yourselves.’
In one photo posted to Instagram, Henyard even appeared to pose with a dog laden with jewelry
She regularly engages the services of a professional hair and makeup team and stylist before public appearances and photo shoots for the county’s taxpayer-funded billboards, with more recent reporting showing she’s spent tens of thousands on multiple first-class trips around the country.
Henyard also tried to lay down the law against village trustees who say she’s misusing funds.
‘You all forget I’m the leader. They want to hear from the mayor. You all ain’t learned that yet,’ she said earlier this month. ‘The mayor, not the trustees that don’t do nothing. They only run their mouth. You all don’t do no work, no work!’
Since the initial reporting on Henyard’s spending, it’s been revealed she and other officials spent more than $67,000 on trips to Portland, Austin, Atlanta and New York City on the village’s dime, according to WGN.
Many of the flights were first-class, while Henyard’s team spent $13,000 in public money staying in New York.
‘It’s unfortunate that politics are being played. What’s happened is a million dollars out of my budget have been cut because of politics,’ Dolton Police Chief Lewis Lacey said.
Henyard doesn’t understand the criticism, as she believes she’s working to better everyone’s lives.
‘Everything we do is for the people. But we’re under attack. We get scrutinized by the media,’ she said. ‘For what? Loving on the people? Showing that they matter to us? We going through the fires for you all.’
Henyard is pictured stepping out of a chauffeured SUV in one of her stylish outfits. She’s been blasted for spending taxpayer cash on security, as well as professional hair and makeup artists
At a public meeting Monday night, Henyard attempted to shame the trustees by pointing out her status as the first female mayor of the village and as a black woman
The village board said the problem is a matter of trust, with citizens and trustees being unable to vet her spending.
‘At the end of the day, vendors aren’t being paid. The board approved it, but vendors aren’t being paid,’ Dolton trustee Jason House said.
Fellow trustee Brittney Norwood added: ‘How about you be a good leader and bring [proposals] to the forefront so not just us, but residents and everyone else in America know how the money is being spent?’
Henyard is always snapped in tasteful, expensive looking outfits. She has posted photos of herself getting out of chauffeur driven SUVS, with one Instagram post even appearing to show her with a dog laden with jewelry.
Henyard, who often refers to herself as ‘God’s favorite,’ has now sparked further outrage by proposing a new law that would cap the next mayor’s salary at $25,000, unless she remains in the role, Fox 32 reported in early February.
Many believe the proposal, which has been branded ‘illegal’ is an attempt to dissuade anyone from running against her in the 2025 race. Now trustees in her town have filed a lawsuit against her alleging forgery and claiming she withheld financial records.
The scandal is just the latest to hit the beleaguered mayor, after she was slammed for hiring her former campaign worker as the town’s code enforcement officer despite the fact he is a convicted child rapist.
She also raised eyebrows after spending hundreds of thousands of tax dollars of security details, including one for an event with senior citizens and another occasion where she pulled cops off the street to perform a protection outfit.
After a recall bid failed, Henyard posted this defiant image on Instagram declaring she ‘forever will be Dolton’s mayor’
Questions have emerged over how she funds her apparently lavish lifestyle, especially since she has repeatedly swerved questions and dismissed criticism by branding trustees for the township as ‘haters’ in TikTok videos.
Dolton trustees say she has not explained the need for her eye-watering security budget. They also claim she issued checks without proper authorization.
‘I see no justification whatsoever. And more than that, it’s really a detriment to the citizens of Dolton,’ trustee Jason House told Fox 32.
‘If we were to take the same money and put it on officers patrolling the streets, then the residents will see a much better presence and public safety will be better.’
Heynard, a Democrat, was sworn in as mayor in May, becoming the first woman and the youngest person to occupy that post in Dolton’s 128-year history.
A year after her election, Dolton residents triggered a recall process largely due to her hiring of convicted sex offender Lavelle Redmond into a role that would require him to enter people’s homes.
According to reporting at the time, the then-16-year-old Redmond and three others kidnapped and sexually assaulted two girls, ages 13 and 14.
At age 17, Redmond was sentenced to 50 years in prison but was paroled in 2016 and required to register as a sex offender. At the time Henyard defended the move, stating that convicts who have served time deserve a second chance.
Henyard uses professional stylists as well and hair and makeup teams prior to events but is not forthcoming about how they are funded
However, the recall failed on a technicality and Henyard remained in post, turning up to the next board meeting blasting a disco song and dancing on the podium.
Following the verdict, she also posted a defiant picture on Instagram proclaiming herself the ‘People’s Mayor’ with the caption, ‘I am and forever will be Dolton’s Mayor.’
The post is one of hundreds on the politicians profile that feature glamorous headshots of her promoting various town events and holidays.
Visitors to Henyard’s website are greeted by a huge selfie and encouraged to offer donations.
Her antics have earned comparisons to the show Parks and Recreation, a comedy which pokes fun at local government employees.