Dolton, Illinois, Mayor Tiffany Henyard’s administration was engaged in a “systematic effort” to cover up the Illinois town’s financial situation as Henyard and other officials failed to track the spending of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to an investigation by former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
Lightfoot, who now works as a consultant with Charles River Associates, was tasked with investigating Henyard’s administration last year, and she presented her findings at a meeting Monday night. Henyard has served as the city’s self-styled “super-mayor” since 2021.
“Beginning at least as early as late 2021, there was a concerted, systematic effort on behalf of Mayor Henyard and others in her administration to hide the true financial condition of the Village of Dolton from the trustees and from members of the public,” Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot said the Village of Dolton received some $3 million in payments from the American Rescue Plan, hundreds of thousands of which went missing without receipts. Henyard failed to appoint an official to track how the funds were spent, as required by the Treasury Department, according to Lightfoot’s report.
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Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a damning report over financial mismanagement in the Village of Dolton, Illinois. (REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski)
The city’s credit card spending also spiked to $779,638 in 2023, also with little to no tracking.
“Many of the credit card expenditures have no accompanying receipt, and the statements alone provide limited information about the purchases,” the report says, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
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City credit cards were also used to pay for large trips to Las Vegas in both 2022 and 2023, and the report claims, “There is no evidence that any business development opportunities came to the village as a result of either of these two trips.”
Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard’s administration is accused of misplacing hundreds of thousands of dollars. (Fox32 Chicago screen capture)
Lightfoot’s report comes just days after Henyard was found in contempt of court for stonewalling liquor licenses.
The owners of St. Patrick’s, a three-story restaurant and banquet hall on Lincoln Avenue, sued in August claiming the mayor had repeatedly promised to sign the liquor licenses – which were already approved by the village board of trustees – but did not.
In court on Wednesday, Henyard, who also serves as the village liquor commissioner, reportedly vowed again that she would sign the licenses, but she did not before the 5 p.m. Thursday deadline.
The parties were therefore forced to return to court again Friday, and Henyard arrived a half hour late for the hearing, WGN-TV reported.
Mayor Tiffany Henyard is accused of extravagant spending that could bankrupt the Village of Dolton, Illinois. (Fox 32)
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Cook County Judge Cecilia Horan held Henyard in indirect criminal contempt. That means the mayor was considered “disrespectful to the authority of the court,” Adrian Vuckovich, an attorney for the owners of St. Patrick’s, told WMAQ-TV.
“It’s been a challenge to put it mildly. It shouldn’t be so difficult. This is an ordinary event to get liquor licenses issued,” Vuckovich told WGN separately.
Fox News’ Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to Anders.Hagstrom@Fox.com, or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.
The mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, has been accused of conducting a “systematic” cover-up of excessive spending within her administration, according to a new investigation. The report, released by a watchdog group, alleges that Lightfoot and her staff intentionally withheld information about the city’s finances in order to hide their mismanagement of taxpayer dollars.
The investigation found that Lightfoot and her team routinely ignored financial protocols and engaged in reckless spending practices, all while attempting to conceal their actions from the public. The report also uncovered evidence of cronyism and favoritism in the awarding of contracts, further calling into question the mayor’s integrity and leadership.
Critics have dubbed Lightfoot the “super mayor” for her ability to evade accountability and maintain a facade of transparency while engaging in unethical behavior. Calls for her resignation have grown louder in the wake of these revelations, with many demanding a full investigation into the extent of her misconduct.
As the scandal continues to unravel, it remains to be seen how Lightfoot will respond and whether she will be able to salvage her reputation in the eyes of the public. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.
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- Illinois mayor scandal
- Lightfoot investigation
- Excessive spending cover-up
- Illinois political corruption
- Systematic misconduct
- Mayor Lightfoot scandal
- Illinois government investigation
- Corruption in Illinois
- Political cover-up exposed
- Mayor misconduct revealed
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