Media bury story about Black female mayor accused of corruption

The mayor of an Illinois town who was celebrated for being the first woman to fill the position and is now under investigation for corruption is evading mainstream media scrutiny.

When Tiffany Henyard was sworn in as the Village of Dolton’s Democrat mayor in 2021, she was celebrated by mainstream media as the town’s “first woman mayor.” When she also landed the post of Thornton Township supervisor in 2022, news media celebrated her as the “first woman and first African American to hold that office.”

But in just over a year Henyard faced recall efforts by voters over her lavish spending and misuse of taxpayer funds. Despite Dolton being an estimated $7 million in debt, Henyard has been charging the town’s 20,000 residents for her first class flights and stays at five-star hotels. According to credit card statements, the mayor also spent over $23,000 between June and November partying at upscale restaurants with aides and supporters. Henyard’s former Chief of Staff Nakita Cloud said business was often not discussed at these events.

Henyard also reportedly used funds and resources for self-promotional billboards, a security detail of six police officers, her own cancer charity, and marketing for her personal social media channels. 

The 2022 recall effort failed after a legal battle. 

While she earns a collective salary of $285,000 from her two positions, Henyard has proposed a nearly 90% cut to the salary of anyone who unseats her in the next election, reported Fox News. If she wins, however, she will keep her current salary.

Dolton residents say that Henyard also uses the power of her office to harass taxpayers who displease her.

Lawrence Gardner, a 57-year-old Dolton resident who initially paid $3,500 to Henyard’s campaign, said the mayor shut his business down after he refused to make annual contributions. He suddenly faced false accusations of illegally selling alcohol and his business license was revoked.

“What is she, Nino Brown?” he said. “Anything she wants done, she gets them to harass you. She likes nobody. If you are not doing what she say, if you are not doing how she’s saying to do it, you are a problem. She don’t like them.”

When Henyard was confronted by angry taxpayers at a meeting earlier this month, she chastised them for criticizing a Black woman.

“You all should be ashamed of yourselves because you all are Black. You all are Black! And you all sitting up here beating and attacking a Black woman that’s in power,” she told concerned residents.

Sherry Britton, a 55-year-old Dolton taxpayer, regrets voting for Henyard.

“It was a vote that I regret,” she said. “Please put that in there! It was a vote that I regret deeply. When she got into office, she just shut everyone out and she went into the opposite direction. She became this tyrant and dictator.”

At a meeting Thursday night, four out of six Dolton Trustees voted to call for an investigation into Henyard, who is now being investigated by the FBI.

Most mainstream news publications failed to cover this story, including CNN, BBC, MSNBC, Washington Post, BBC, NPR, New York Times, and LA Times.