During an exclusive interview with ABC7 Chicago, the mayor discussed her recent removal from the Thornton Township ballot in the upcoming primary elections, claiming, “It was voter suppression, and we have a problem with that.”

Henyard is vowing a legal fight two days after her re-election setback as Thornton Township Supervisor. She was left off the April primary ballot in a Democratic Party caucus vote that hasn’t been used in the township in 30 years.

“It was voter suppression, and we have a problem with that,” Henyard said.

Henyard’s ballot battle comes as she’s locked in a political fight with two township trustees She is now warning of a potential Thornton Township shutdown if insurance isn’t approved by the board after two township trustees have boycotted multiple meetings.

“They are neglecting their duties as a trustee, and they should be removed from office due to it,” Henyard said.

Henyard has also been the subject of several financial controversies. The New York Post reported that Henyard used taxpayer funds to spend about $43,000 in a single day on Amazon purchases. She also spent money on out-of-state trips and overtime paid to police officers, who she is accused of using as her personal security detail.

Dolton Trustee Kiana Belcher characterized these revelations as “a slap in the face to everybody that resides in 60419 zip code” and said taxpayers are being “financially raped” by Henyard’s alleged misuse of funds.

Now, the village’s general fund is $3.65 million in deficit after having a $5.61 million surplus in 2022, as reported by former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who was hired to investigate Henyard.

Lightfoot noted, “The village has used at least six credit cards,” with minimal oversight, further detailing lavish expenditures on out-of-state travel and police overtime.

Henyard has faced allegations of intimidation and retaliation. The mayor has used Dolton police officers to silence critics, according to a lawsuit filed by resident Stephanie Wiedeman. The plaintiff alleged that she was falsely arrested during a public meeting after removing a pro-Henyard flyer from her car. She also accused the mayor of ordering police to remove her from public events in violation of her First Amendment rights.

The FBI recently began an investigation into Henyard’s alleged misconduct. The agency served subpoenas at Dolton Village Hall, according to Fox 25.

Four agents from the FBI paid a visit to Dolton around 2:30 p.m. They served two federal subpoenas. The first one was for employment records, personnel files, and disciplinary reports for 25 Dolton employees, including three police officers and Keith Freeman. Freeman, who is the village administrator, was charged with bankruptcy fraud on Monday.

The second subpoena was served specifically for Freeman, asking for records of all companies associated with him and possible ties to the village.

“The House of Cards are collapsing,” said Burt Odelson, who serves as the Legislative Counsel for the Village of Dolton Board of Trustees. “I think the government is taking action.”

One trustee said Mayor Tiffany Henyard has left them in the dark for months.

“Since September, we haven’t received financials and the last time we did receive financials, we were informed that we were $7 million dollars in debt,” said Brittney Norwood, a Dolton trustee.

Residents have voiced their displeasure with Henyard on multiple occasions – especially during town meetings, with some calling her “the worst mayor in America.” Her nonprofit charity has fallen under scrutiny over the lack of transparency related to its finances.

A representative of the Tiffany Henyard Cares Foundation wrote on the charity’s registration statement filed with the Illinois Attorney general that the organization only raised $13,000 in its first few months of existence. WGN Investigates has reported the Thornton Township board – which is controlled by Henyard – transferred $10,000 to the foundation days after it was created. That’s in addition to the $10,248 charged to township credit cards for hotels along the route of a Tiffany Henyard Cares walk from Dolton to Springfield in 2022. In addition, records reviewed by WGN Investigates show people on Henyard’s government payroll received out-of-town taxpayer funded stipends while participating in the walk to Springfield.

Suburban politician’s cancer charity fails to file financial records

However, since the foundation failed to file tax documents with the attorney general’s office – including a Form 990 which details revenue, expenditures and income – the foundation’s financial activities since its inception in September 2022 remain unclear.   

“The 990 provides all of the necessary information about the nonprofit, so if it’s not filed, any prudent taxpayer should ask ‘why not?’” said Kelly Richmond Pope, a professor of accounting at DePaul University who wrote the book “Fool Me Once: Scams, stories and Secrets from the Trillion Dollar Fraud Industry.” Pope said the fact the organization has failed to file legally required paperwork is a red flag.

“It leads one to suspect that the organization has something to hide,” she said.

These are only a few of the scandals that have plagued Henyard’s career in office. The fact that many residents are speaking out against her is a promising sign. It shows the community is paying close attention to what its leaders are doing.

Unfortunately, most Americans tend to focus more on federal-level politics while paying little attention to what is happening in their backyards. There are likely plenty of Tiffany Henyards in cities, towns, and villages across the country who are engaged in the same type of corrupt activities as Henyard is accused of.

These people often get away with their crimes and unethical behavior because they rely on people not knowing what is going on in their communities. If we want fewer Henyards, we have to be just as involved in our local politics as we are in federal politics.