Many politicians have a warped estimations of self-worth.
But the Mayor of one small Midwestern town took things to the extreme and it may cost her.
Now a self-described Illinois “Super Mayor” just found herself in hot water with the FBI.
She’s a small-town Mayor with a big personality, and not necessarily in a good way.
Earlier this month news broke about how Mayor Tiffany Henyard (D) of the small community of Dolton, Illinois had come under fire over her controversial spending habits and transparency.
Local Mayor: Spending taxpayer money thousands of miles away for reasons I won’t tell you is “for the people”
Henyard has allegedly spent tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on lavish trips, food, and miscellaneous items and services.
Those trips include flying first class to New York, Atlanta, and Portland and staying in expensive hotels.
Henyard claims, “Everything we do, we do for the people.”
But she refuses to divulge the reason for the trips or those services.
She was visibly upset and angered when she was called out for her behavior at a meeting with other community leaders and didn’t hesitate to use the race card.
Henyard said, “Y’all should be ashamed of y’all selves. Y’all black. Y’all are black. And y’all sitting up here beating and attacking on a black woman that’s in power. You should be ashamed of y’all selves.”
But Henyard’s reprimand notwithstanding, the questions keep coming and now there is word that the FBI is investigating her.
According to the New York Post, the probe centers on misconduct and misuse of office.
It comes at the same time that the Illinois attorney general has shut down Henyard’s charity.
In addition to Henyard’s alleged misuse of taxpayer money on trips, she’s also accused of spending $1 million on a police detail and then using that to retaliate against her political enemies.
Lawrence Gardner is the owner of a trucking business and says that he has been victimized by Henyard in an alleged shakedown.
Gardner told the New York Post that after making an initial $3,500 political donation to Henyard, she kept coming back for more.
Gardner said, “I made the payment. Then every year, she started coming and required the same thing, and we had a problem about that.”
He said that when he refused to fork over more cash to Henyard, officials accused him of illegal sale of alcohol and took away his license.
Gardner denies any wrongdoing and his story is just one of dozens of complaints now being investigated by the FBI.
FBI agent: “We’re going to get her. It just takes time.”
He added, “The FBI came out and went to talk to me and I gave them all the paperwork that I had. They took photocopies. Their division is public corruption. They were just starting their investigation. [The FBI agent] said, ‘We are going to get her. It just takes time. We have to make sure we have all our i’s dotted and t’s crossed.’”
According to local TV station Fox 32, the FBI investigation is also using electronic surveillance.
The village of Dolton has 20,000 residents and while Henyard is alleged to have misused millions of dollars, the municipality is $5 million in debt.
Stay tuned to Blue State Blues for any updates to this ongoing story.
