Why Lori Lightfoot is Investigating Dolton Mayor

Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will investigate Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, who has been accused of misusing public funds.

What Are the Accusations?

Henyard, the south suburb’s first woman mayor and the Thornton Township supervisor, has been in hot water for allegedly:

• Going on lavish trips on taxpayers’ dime.
• Retaliating against a staffer who said she was sexually assaulted by a village trustee on a Las Vegas trip.
• Misspending federal COVID-19 relief funds.

Those accusations come as Dolton is in over $7 million in debt, one village trustee told CBS Chicago.

Who Else is Investigating

Efforts to recall the mayor for transparency issues in 2022 were deemed not valid by the Illinois Appellate Court.

The Illinois Department of Human Rights is investigating the Vegas trip.

Earlier this year, the Illinois Attorney General ordered Henyard’s charity to stop soliciting money because it hasn’t registered with the state.

Simultaneously, Henyard has also resisted efforts from the village’s trustees to investigate her spending.

The FBI is also in the early stages of investigating Henyard.

What Can Lightfoot Do?

This week, the Dolton Board of Trustees hired Lightfoot, a former prosecutor, as a special investigator looking into Henyard’s conduct. Being paid $400 an hour, Lightfoot is on a fact-finding mission, but she can’t bring actions in criminal court. Henyard is expected to veto Lightfoot’s hiring, and the board is prepared to override the veto.

Lightfoot’s new gig comes nearly a year since she left office, where her own term had its challenges.