The Illinois village of Dolton has voted in favor of a decision to rent ex-Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to research its personal chief, Tiffany Henyard, who’s accused of misusing taxpayer funds and various other corrupt practices.
Lightfoot, who misplaced her reelection bid in a landslide final yr, stated she was “honored” to be tasked with the investigation of Henyard — Dolton’s self-proclaimed “Tremendous Mayor.”
“As somebody who has made good governance the cornerstone of my profession in public service, I acknowledge that sustaining the belief of these you serve and making choices of their greatest pursuits is crucial,” Lightfoot stated in a press release on Monday night.
“The residents of Dolton deserve nothing lower than a authorities that’s absolutely accountable, responsive, clear, and efficient stewards of taxpayer {dollars}.”
Lightfoot stated her expertise main Chicago would assist present findings and suggestions “with out bias.”
Dolton’s village board voted to rent Lightfoot on Monday evening in an unofficial assembly being held at an offsite park district facility fairly than the Dolton Village Corridor.
Lightfoot will likely be tasked with offering periodic updates to the board on the investigation into Henyard’s alleged misconduct and lavish spending, offering a complete report at its conclusion.
She is going to reportedly be retained for $400 per hour, in accordance with Fox 32.
Lightfoot, beforehand an lawyer with the highly effective Chicago regulation agency of Mayer Brown, a federal prosecutor and Chicago’s first Black feminine and brazenly homosexual mayor, misplaced her bid for a second time period final yr.
Monday evening’s vote at a particular assembly got here after 4 Dolton Board of Trustees members proposed hiring Lightfoot as extra legislative counsel to probe Henyard.
The investigation stems from a collection of occasions surrounding a tax-funded “financial growth” journey to Las Vegas in Could 2023.
There was allegedly “a complete failure to report something relative to potential financial growth, or every other occasions that befell in Las Vegas, to the Board of Trustees” upon Henyard’s return, in accordance with the board.
The Village Board says it needs an intensive investigation into the journey, together with all expenditures, allegations of misconduct and inner investigations.
Henyard can also be going through allegations she misspent federal COVID-19 aid funds, employed contractors with out looking for correct bids, overpaid distributors with out approval from the board, and accepted giant marketing campaign contributions from distributors chosen by the mayor.
The decision additionally states the board later discovered of “severe sexual assault allegations” made by an unnamed former Dolton worker towards a board trustee whereas in Las Vegas, and that Henyard and others in her administration “have gone to nice lengths to cover-up and conceal the alleged sexual misconduct and reporting of the sexual misconduct.”
“Us determining what occurred in Vegas is extraordinarily essential for the residents,” Dolton Board of Trustee member Brittney Norwood advised The Publish.
Henyard’s constituents have additionally complained concerning the ostentatious mayor’s large billboards bearing her face throughout city and the “militarization” of local police towards her political opponents.
The board has accused her of overlaying up private bills she paid for utilizing village cash.
Henyard’s administration has denied the board’s quite a few requests over the previous yr for monetary paperwork, leaving them at the hours of darkness concerning the state of Dolton’s funds.
Final month, Henyard vetoed a resolution handed unanimously by the village board to open the probe, calling on her to submit the village’s monetary information.
The FBI can also be reportedly investigating Henyard’s alleged misuse of taxpayer cash, together with the lots of of hundreds of {dollars} the village paid in police additional time allegdly for Henyard’s private safety element and accusations she held up licenses to sure companies.
Henyard has repeatedly refused to step down.
