Dolton Mayor and Thornton Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard
The Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States is looking into the allegations against Dolton Mayor and Thornton Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard, as per a report in Fox News. The law enforcement agency is interviewing witnesses as part of a possible investigation. The self-described "super mayor" has been accused of corruption and abuse of power.
South suburban Dolton resident Lawrence Gardner, who operates a rental and trucking company, claimed that he went to the FBI a few months ago because he was frustrated that the Village of Dolton would not renew his business license. He said that the investigators regarded his claims with seriousness. The man added that he has been harassed and his company was raided and Dolton Police. Mr Gardner thinks it is revenge for declining to contribute to a community event that Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard was organising. "I talked to a couple of agents and I explained to them what's going on," Gardner said. "I gave them all my paperwork to show them what was happening in court and what was happening in Dolton. And they told me they were investigating and would be in touch with me," he told the outlet.
He also said that he had been interviewed by the FBI along with five others who range from a public official, business owners and a former village employee.
Inquiries are being made by agents over Ms Henyard's purported use of public funds and resources, which includes extravagant out-of-town travel expenses. Investigations have also been done over Ms Henyard's purported exploitation of public employees and tax dollars for personal gain, hundreds of thousands of dollars in police overtime for her personal security detail, and the delaying of licenses to specific businesses, as per the outlet.
Dolton Trustee Jason House said in a statement, "The Board of Trustees and I have repeatedly questioned the Mayor's Office on her use of public funds. We welcome any investigation that will bring transparency on how taxpayer dollars are being spent. Our residents deserve this level of financial transparency."
A public relations firm, on behalf of Ms Henyard, said, "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."
This comes after the Illinois Attorney General's Office ordered a charity run by the Dolton Mayor to stop soliciting donations. The organisation, Tiffany Henyard Cares, did not register with the Attorney General's Office, reveal its fundraising totals, or explain how its funds are being used, as per the outlet.