Dolton, former aide to Illinois mayor, turns against her for ‘unethical and predatory behavior’

A former aide to controversial Dolton, Illinois Mayor Tiffany Henyard says she is a whistleblower on the embattled “super mayor”‘s excessive spending at taxpayers’ expense. She accuses Henyard of “unethical and predatory behavior” to “expand her influence.”

Henyard, who also serves as supervisor for the neighboring municipality of Thornton Township, has been plagued by scandal for months, facing accusations of misconduct, excessive spending, corruption allegations and retaliation against colleagues.

Despite the controversy and calls to resign, she has remained steadfast in her role. But now, Thornton Township Board member Carmen Carlisle has stepped forward to reveal the bombastic mayor’s secrets.

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Tiffany Henyard has been embroiled in numerous controversies and there have been calls for her to resign. (Vos32)

“Today I break my silence and speak out against Thornton Township Supervisor and Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard, who I believe has engaged in unethical and predatory behavior during her tenure,” Carlisle wrote in an emailed statement to WGN.

“Over the past two years, Henyard has manipulated employees, vendors and residents and abused her position to increase her influence, while creating a false image of success funded by the hardworking taxpayers of Thornton Township and the Village of Dolton.”

Carlisle, who was an assistant to Henyard before being appointed trustee in May 2023, said at a recent special board meeting that she rarely asked questions about extravagant trips and other expenses charged to township taxpayers because she “trusted the board,” the report said.

Carlisle and other city officials then voted to impose new restrictions on special event spending and credit card access.

“I am standing up, not only for myself, but for others who have been affected by what I see as Henyard’s abusive leadership,” Carlisle’s statement continued. “I believe there are many more victims who have been retaliated against, dismissed, or lied to by Henyard who have not yet spoken out.”

Henyard responded to the apparent display of disloyalty by announcing a new nickname for Carlisle.

Tiffany Henyard outfits are professionally styled by a fashion expert. (stylemebrandon | Instagram/screenshot)

“I think I’m going to give you a new nickname: ‘Lyin’ Carlisle,'” Henyard said during the public meeting. “I’m sick of everybody here. There’s always got to be a show.”

WGN reported in January that Henyard and her entourage racked up $67,000 in expenses for trips to Portland, Austin, Atlanta and New York City over a five-month period. Carlisle was on at least one of the trips, along with other city trustees and officials. In Atlanta, the group stayed at the Four Seasons and billed taxpayers more than $9,300.

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Carlisle said during the recent special meeting that she started asking questions when she no longer trusted the board or the process.

“I worked as your assistant. I saw a lot. I heard a lot. … The first time I really questioned whether I should support you was when you went on this national platform and said you didn’t know anything about a foundation. But you forget that I was in certain rooms when certain things happened,” Carlisle said, according to The Lansing Journal.

Henyard has come under fire for her role with the Tiffany A. Henyard Cares Foundation.

At a September 2022 meeting, Henyard and the township board voted to donate $10,000 to the foundation, which claims to help people with cancer. Documents reviewed by the Illinois Answers Project show the foundation’s documentation was filed with the state the same day the township’s payment was approved.

An investigation by the Illinois Answers Project and FOX 32 found that thousands of taxpayer dollars were spent on a group bike ride to Springfield in support of a breast cancer bill. However, the bill was never formally introduced and state legislatures were not in session.

“You were not honest about that foundation,” Carlisle said at the meeting. “You then came to my house unannounced and tried to get me to say that someone else had set up that foundation, but they hadn’t.”

Tiffany Henyard accused of corruption

Meanwhile, former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has been hired by the City of Dolton as a “special investigator” to investigate Henyard’s alleged misdeeds.

Lightfoot said in a preliminary report earlier this month that Dolton’s general fund balance was $5.61 million in April 2022, but that the balance had fallen to a deficit of $3.65 million by May 2024.

Lightfoot also revealed that Henyard used the village’s credit card to make purchases at Amazon, Target, Walgreens, Wayfair and other retailers.

A stunning statement revealed that the beleaguered mayor spent $33,000 on Amazon on January 5, 2023.

The allegations of financial wrongdoing have led to an ongoing FBI investigation.

Henyard, who typically speaks into a gold microphone during meetings, has also come under fire for allegedly being assaulted by one of her allies during a trip to Las Vegas. The alleged victim claims she was fired after speaking out.

In addition, Lewis A. Lacey, a former deputy police chief of Dolton and an ally of Henyard, was indicted by a federal grand jury earlier this month on charges of bankruptcy fraud. He is accused of hiding assets and income to avoid paying creditors and settling a lawsuit.

In February, it was reported that the FBI had opened an investigation into Henyard after six people reportedly spoke to the agency about her alleged misconduct, including “business owners, a former village employee and one or more government officials.”

In April, the FBI served two federal subpoenas as part of an investigation. Henyard was not subpoenaed.

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Embattled Mayor Tiffany Henyard posted a video of her meeting with President Biden at the White House. (Instagram)

The first was for employment records, personnel files and disciplinary reports for 25 Dolton employees, including three police officers and Keith Freeman, the village administrator and Henyard’s chief aide. Freeman was accused of bankruptcy fraud.

The second subpoena was specifically addressed to Freeman and requested information on any businesses associated with him that may have had ties to the village.

Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.