Dolton residents filled the Dolton Park District Field House on Monday to hear Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot present the final report on her investigation into the Village of Dolton and Mayor Tiffany Henyard, according to a WGN report.
“The residents of Dolton have suffered needlessly because of the financial mismanagement of this current mayor,” Lightfoot said.
The Dolton Village Board of Trustees enlisted Lightfoot last spring following a series of WGN Investigates reports highlighting Henyard’s luxury travel, questionable charitable activities, and self-promotion.
On Monday, Lightfoot outlined a pattern of unchecked spending.
“There’s not a system for ensuring there are receipts for various CC purchases. What this means, unfortunately, is the board of trustees was not able to track or see CC purchases being done over the last few years,” Lightfoot said.
For instance, $48,000 was charged to village credit cards for constructing an ice rink without board approval or a competitive bidding process.
Spending reached its highest point in 2023, with over $775,000 charged to credit cards—more than $200,000 spent on Amazon and over $117,000 on travel, including two so-called “business trips” to Las Vegas.
Lightfoot also pointed out a dysfunctional FOIA system, with no staff dedicated to handling public information requests, and the absence of a staff accountant to oversee village spending.
“It’s just the spending of the money and how it was spent and did it so much undercover. Nobody really got a chance to see what was going on,” Dolton resident Flo Hampton said.
This follows last week’s ruling that found Henyard in contempt of court for refusing to sign liquor licenses for Dolton businesses previously approved by the board, as well as an ongoing federal investigation into the mayor.
“The FBI is also in contact with various people who have information about the allegations here. What they intend to do and timing of that, no one knows but for them,” Lightfoot said.
Lightfoot also provided recommendations to the village board, including making monthly financial reports publicly accessible and implementing a credit card spending policy.
