Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard moved Monday to block the Village Board’s request for outside agencies to investigate her for allegedly misusing village funds.
Henyard vetoed a resolution trustees approved Feb. 11, saying it was illegal.
“We are under attack,” she said. “I will be victorious when the dust clears.”
Four trustees at odds with Henyard — Kiana Belcher, Tammie Brown, Jason House and Brittney Norwood — held a special Village Board meeting Feb. 22 at a Dolton Park District facility. Village Clerk Alison Key also participated.
Their resolution asked agencies such as the FBI, U.S. attorney, Cook County sheriff and Cook County state’s attorney to step in and investigate Henyard.
The action came after a law enforcement source confirmed federal authorities, including the FBI, are in the early stages of an investigation into Henyard.
No charges have been brought against the mayor, and the probe has included interviews by investigators both inside and outside of Dolton, according to the source.
The board’s resolution alleges Henyard made payments to vendors without Village Board approval, and that she has refused to pay vendor invoices the board approved.
The resolution accuses her of misusing village funds and causing Dolton to be in a multimillion-dollar deficit.
The four trustees plan to vote to override Henyard’s veto at the next regularly scheduled Village Board meeting in April, House said after Monday’s meeting.
Henyard said the trustees’ meeting violated the state’s Open Meetings Act because it was held at a location other than Village Hall.
One of the actions the trustees took Feb. 22 was to demand keys to Village Hall, which they said they do not have so they must hold meetings elsewhere.
They contend the meetings are necessary to handle simple matters of village business, such as approving Village Board meeting minutes.
Trustees “acted unconstitutionally and in complete disregard of the law,” Henyard said.
“I continue to be shocked by what the trustees simply do not know about municipal government,” she said.
