Latest news with #TiffanyHenyard
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How Tiffany Henyard's successor at Thornton Township maneuvered to keep earning six-figure salary
THORNTON TOWNSHIP, Ill. (WGN) — As supervisor of Thornton Township, Tiffany Henyard was paid an annual salary of more than $200,000, plus stipends for expenses, travel and more. But according to the township's most recent salary ordinance, her successor was to be paid at a much lower rate: $57,000 a year for the first term. So, why is Napoleon Harris earning the same salary as Henyard? WGN Investigates found Harris' other taxpayer-funded position helped quietly pave the way for him to protect the payment perk. 'What you make is based on what you're able to deliver,' Harris told WGN Investigates back in April. 'That's like people saying professional athletes shouldn't be making millions or doctors.' Harris has been a Democratic state senator since 2013. He defeated Henyard this year to take over as the township's new supervisor, his second taxpayer-funded position. In 2024, Henyard was paid a total of $282,812 by the township. That included an annual salary of $202,950, in addition to allowances for a telephone, vehicle and $59,400 for 'expenses.' Related: Records reveal Tiffany Henyard's taxpayer-funded positions paid $347,000 last year Under the ordinance, Henyard collected that amount because she took over for Frank Zuccarelli in the middle of his term. Zuccarelli had been supervisor since the early 1990s. But after she was defeated, the pay was to be significantly lowered. The township's salary ordinance set the salary for first term supervisors at $57,000 a year. But WGN Investigates found that Harris — even before he won the township office — introduced legislation in the Illinois General Assembly to protect the payment perk. His bill didn't pass. But we found legislation with the same language was later advanced and passed by a different Democratic legislator. It was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker last year. Thanks to the legislative maneuver, Harris stands to collect the same benefits as Henyard. That's in addition to $123,971 he is to be paid as a state senator. 'This is the professional democratic machine, tried and tested and it appears they've taken hold of Thornton Township,' Paul Robertz, a resident of Thornton Township, told WGN Investigates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
New York Post
20-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Ousted Dem ‘super mayor' charges whopping price tag for tell-all book while dodging legal troubles
The embattled former Chicago suburb 'super mayor' has announced her latest business venture as her legal woes continue to pile up following a tumultuous time in office. Tiffany Henyard, the former Democratic mayor of Dolton, has announced she is peddling a 'tell-all' autobiography, titled 'Standing on Business.' In a Facebook post, the disgraced politician vowed 'the real story is coming' while sharing a link to pre-order the book – which boasts a price tag of $99 and is reportedly the first of a three-part series – from a self-publishing website. 'From mommy moves to making history, [Henyard] is not just showing up,' she wrote. 'She's standing on business.' However, the former mayor's constituents appeared less than pleased, taking their opinions online to voice their skepticism of Henyard's latest business venture. 'Still trying to hustle money!' one commenter said in the Dolton Politics Facebook Page. 'Michelle Obama's bestseller was cheaper than this mess,' another poster wrote. 'The unmitigated gal!' Henyard's attorneys did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Henyard's announcement comes as she faces several legal woes stemming from her time as Dolton mayor and Thornton Township supervisor after her reelection bid proved unsuccessful. 3 Former Dolton mayor Tiffany Henyard announced on Facebook that she is writing an autobiography titled, 'Standing on Business.' FOX News Earlier this month, Henyard pleaded the Fifth in a court hearing over a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit from her time at the helm. 'The smear campaign against Tiffany Henyard, which began while she was in office, continues even now that she is out of office,' her attorney, Beau Bridley, previously said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Henyard was previously held in contempt of court after she failed to hand over public documents related to the lawsuit. 3 Henyard received controversy on social media from her former constituents amid her ongoing legal issues. FOX News Her attorney subsequently acknowledged the former mayor does not have the requested documents, with an Illinois judge ruling Henyard's legal team can submit an affidavit in its place. 'The mayor has no document that the plaintiff seeks,' Bridley said. 'This matter is going to be resolved with a simple affidavit. The whole hearing was much ado about nothing.' 3 The Dolton Politics Facebook page received comments such as one saying, 'Still trying to hustle money!' with another commenter replying, 'The unmitigated gal!' FOX News The lawsuit was initially filed by the Edgar County Watchdogs Inc. in response to the organization suing Henyard and the Village of Dolton for failing to produce financial records after the documents were requested under federal FOIA laws. 'We had little doubt Ms. Henyard would use losing the election as an excuse not to produce the documents,' Edward 'Coach' Weinhaus, attorney for Edgar County Watchdogs, previously said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 'Invoking the Fifth Amendment for a criminal investigation was an added wrinkle. The Watchdogs will keep looking for the documents even if the voters might have inadvertently thrown out the documents with the mayor.' Henyard initially made national headlines in April 2024 after officials in her administration were served with subpoenas from the FBI in response to an alleged corruption investigation, FOX 32 Chicago reported. Henyard, however, was never charged. In response to the FBI's investigation, village trustees voted to hire former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightful to investigate Henyard's spending during her time as mayor, with the meeting spiraling into chaos as Henyard's supporters clashed with her opponents. The financial probe reportedly revealed the village's bank account fell from its initial $5.6 million balance to a $3.6 million deficit. Earlier this year, Henyard subsequently lost the city's mayoral primary to Jason House, who was sworn into office in May. On the same day of her election loss, federal authorities slapped the Village of Dolton with a subpoena demanding records tied to a land development project allegedly tied to Henyard's boyfriend. Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
Fox News
20-06-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Ousted Dem 'super mayor' charges whopping price tag for tell-all book while dodging legal troubles
Print Close By Julia Bonavita Published June 20, 2025 The embattled former Chicago suburb "super mayor" has announced her latest business venture as her legal woes continue to pile up following a tumultuous time in office. Tiffany Henyard, the former Democratic mayor of Dolton, has announced she is peddling a "tell-all" autobiography, titled "Standing on Business." In a Facebook post, the disgraced politician vowed "the real story is coming" while sharing a link to pre-order the book - which boasts a price tag of $99 and is reportedly the first of a three-part series - from a self-publishing website. FORMER DEM 'SUPER MAYOR' PLEADS THE FIFTH AFTER FAILING TO PRODUCE PUBLIC RECORDS IN COURT "From mommy moves to making history, [Henyard] is not just showing up," she wrote. "She's standing on business." However, the former mayor's constituents appeared less than pleased, taking their opinions online to voice their skepticism of Henyard's latest business venture. "Still trying to hustle money!" one commenter said in the Dolton Politics Facebook Page. "Michelle Obama's bestseller was cheaper than this mess," another poster wrote. "The unmitigated gal!" SELF-PROCLAIMED DEMOCRATIC 'SUPER MAYOR' ORDERED TO COURT AS SCANDAL-PLAGUED TENURE UNRAVELS Henyard's attorneys did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Henyard's announcement comes as she faces several legal woes stemming from her time as Dolton mayor and Thornton Township supervisor after her reelection bid proved unsuccessful. Earlier this month, Henyard pleaded the Fifth in a court hearing over a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit from her time at the helm. "The smear campaign against Tiffany Henyard, which began while she was in office, continues even now that she is out of office," her attorney, Beau Bridley, previously said in a statement to Fox News Digital. CRITIC OF EMBATTLED DOLTON, ILLINOIS MAYOR SEES BUSINESS DESTROYED BY 'SUSPICIOUS' FIRE: OFFICIALS Henyard was previously held in contempt of court after she failed to hand over public documents related to the lawsuit. Her attorney subsequently acknowledged the former mayor does not have the requested documents, with an Illinois judge ruling Henyard's legal team can submit an affidavit in its place. "The mayor has no document that the plaintiff seeks," Bridley said. "This matter is going to be resolved with a simple affidavit. The whole hearing was much ado about nothing." The lawsuit was initially filed by the Edgar County Watchdogs Inc. in response to the organization suing Henyard and the Village of Dolton for failing to produce financial records after the documents were requested under federal FOIA laws. 'SUPER MAYOR' TIFFANY HENYARD SKIPS DOLTON MEETINGS AS CONTROVERSIAL TENURE NEARS QUIET END "We had little doubt Ms. Henyard would use losing the election as an excuse not to produce the documents," Edward "Coach" Weinhaus, attorney for Edgar County Watchdogs, previously said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Invoking the Fifth Amendment for a criminal investigation was an added wrinkle. The Watchdogs will keep looking for the documents even if the voters might have inadvertently thrown out the documents with the mayor." Henyard initially made national headlines in April 2024 after officials in her administration were served with subpoenas from the FBI in response to an alleged corruption investigation, FOX 32 Chicago reported. Henyard, however, was never charged. In response to the FBI's investigation, village trustees voted to hire former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightful to investigate Henyard's spending during her time as mayor, with the meeting spiraling into chaos as Henyard's supporters clashed with her opponents. SELF-PROCLAIMED DEMOCRATIC 'SUPER MAYOR' ORDERED TO COURT AS SCANDAL-PLAGUED TENURE UNRAVELS The financial probe reportedly revealed the village's bank account fell from its initial $5.6 million balance to a $3.6 million deficit. Earlier this year, Henyard subsequently lost the city's mayoral primary to Jason House, who was sworn into office in May. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP On the same day of her election loss, federal authorities slapped the Village of Dolton with a subpoena demanding records tied to a land development project allegedly tied to Henyard's boyfriend. Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report. Print Close URL
Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
America's 'worst mayor' changes her tune in dramatic court hearing into widespread corruption
America's 'worst mayor' Tiffany Henyard has been uncharacteristically quiet during her latest court hearings amid her bombshell corruption case in Illinois. Henyard, 41, who served as the mayor of Dolton until she was defeated in a landslide election in January, is accused of financial mismanagement, corruption and fraud. A Cook County judge had told Henyard to appear in court for a grilling about whether she followed transparency laws about spending while she was mayor from 2021. But on Friday, Henyard's attorney Beau Brindley pleaded the Fifth on her behalf, saying she did not have the records the court had requested. The Fifth is the right to remain silent - in stark contrast to Henyard's usual outspoken approach as she has been loudly maintaining her innocence throughout the trial. Henyard previously said she was only 'the face of the village' and not its record keeper in response to criticism about her failure to produce the documents. The lawsuit against her was launched by the Edgar County Watchdogs, who sued the Village of Dolton after her administration ignored Freedom of Information Act requests last year. Brindley said Henyard does not have the document they requested. 'She has no idea what that document was,' he said. 'She's going back to some board meeting where they say she held up a single piece of paper. 'I don't know how and couldn't expect her to remember what that was given how many meetings there have been and how much chaos there was in Dolton.' Brindley advised Henyard to plead the Fifth in this case because she is also the subject of an ongoing FBI investigation into her spending. Independent investigators allege that Henyard mismanaged millions of dollars worth of taxpayer funds during her controversial tenure as the mayor of Dolton. 'At least as early as late 2021, there was a concerted, systematic effort on behalf of Mayor Henyard and others in her administration to hide the true financial condition of the Village of Dolton from the trustees and from members of the public,' former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said at a meeting announcing the findings. Lightfoot's 73-page report explained that there was a whopping $779,638 charged to town credit cards in 2023, with little to no tracking of the actual expenses. More than $50,000 spent on artificial ice tiles, which could have been used to build the town ice skating rink Henyard promoted on Instagram in February 2023. At least six government credit cards were also used to pay for glamorous getaways Henyard took to Las Vegas in May 2022 and May 2023, according to the report. 'Financial records from the village and Thornton Township reflect that a number of people traveled to Las Vegas on both of these trips,' Lightfoot said. 'And the expense of their travel, their lodging, their meals and entertainment were paid for on village and township credit cards.' 'There's no evidence that business development opportunities came to the village as a result of either of these two trips,' she concluded, prompting a groan from the audience. From 2021 through June 2024, credit cards were used for over $171,000 in travel-related expenses, including airfare, baggage fees, hotels, meals and rental cars. The report also revealed that over $50,000 was spent at local restaurants. Purchases were also made at Dick's Sporting Goods, Best Buy, Wayfair, Walgreens, Apple and Walmart. An additional $218,000 was spent on Amazon over the four-year-span Henyard has been in charge. There's also evidence that Henyard charged the town more than $7000 for her hair and makeup team, listing it as an 'assistant' cost. 'Many of the credit card expenditures have no accompanying receipt, and the statements alone provide limited information about the purchases,' according to the report. As a result of this spending frenzy, allegedly done by Henyard, the Dolton Board of Trustees banned her from using town credit cards in August 2024. The report also alleged that Dolton had a budget surplus of $5.61 million in April 2022 that quickly shrank to a $3.65 million deficit by May 2024. Lightfoot said Dolton received some $3 million in payments from the American Rescue Plan, a COVID-19 stimulus bill signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2021. According to Lightfoot, hundreds of thousands of the original $3 million in ARPA funds went missing without receipts. Henyard also failed to appoint an official to oversee the massive sum of money, a requirement put in place by the Treasury Department, Lightfoot said. Lightfoot was hired in April 2024 to conduct the forensic accounting investigation by Dolton town trustees who want to see Henyard booted out of the job she's held since 2021.
New York Post
10-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Former Dem ‘super mayor' Tiffany Henyard pleads the Fifth after failing to produce public records in court
A Chicago suburb's former Democratic 'super mayor' is facing yet another legal hurdle after failing to produce public records from her time in office after being held in contempt of court earlier this month. In a hearing on Friday, Tiffany Henyard's attorney Beau Bridley pleaded the Fifth on his client's behalf after she was ordered to hand over public records from her time in office. 'The smear campaign against Tiffany Henyard, which began while she was in office, continues even now that she is out of office,' Bridley said in a statement to Fox News Digital. Bridley conceded that the former mayor does not have the requested document, with an Illinois judge allowing Henyard's legal team to submit an affidavit in its place. 'The mayor has no document that the plaintiff seeks,' Bridley said. 'This matter is going to be resolved with a simple affidavit. The whole hearing was much ado about nothing.' 3 Tiffany Henyard's (pictured) attorney, Beau Bridley, pleaded the Fifth on his client's behalf after she was ordered to hand over public records from her time in office. FOX 32 The hearing stems from a lawsuit filed by the Edgar County Watchdogs Inc., after the organization sued Henyard and the Village of Dolton for failing to produce financial records after the documents were requested under the Freedom of Information Act. 'We had little doubt Ms. Henyard would use losing the election as an excuse not to produce the documents,' Edward 'Coach' Weinhaus, attorney for Edgar County Watchdogs, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 'Invoking the Fifth Amendment for a criminal investigation was an added wrinkle. The Watchdogs will keep looking for the documents even if the voters might have inadvertently thrown out the documents with the mayor.' 3 Her lawyer conceded that the former mayor does not have the requested document, with an Illinois judge allowing Henyard's legal team to submit an affidavit in its place. @stylemebrandon/Instagram The embattled former mayor was unseated after losing her re-election bid to Jason House, who was sworn in last month. Henyard was also defeated by Illinois state Sen. Napoleon Harris in her attempt to keep her seat as Thornton Township supervisor. Henyard was thrust into the national spotlight in April 2024 after officials at Dolton Village Hall were served subpoenas from the FBI following a corruption investigation, FOX 32 Chicago reported. Henyard, however, was not charged with a crime. 3 The embattled former mayor was unseated after losing her re-election bid to Jason House, who was sworn in last month. Instagram / @tiffanyhenyard In response to the FBI looking into Henyard's administration, village trustees voted to hire former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to investigate the former mayor's spending. At the initial vote, supporters of Henyard clashed with her opponents as the meeting spiraled into a screaming match between groups. Lightfoot's investigation reportedly revealed the village's fund fell from its initial $5.6 million balance to a $3.6 million deficit, with the local government's credit card bills accumulating a whopping $779,000 balance in 2023. On the day Henyard lost the mayoral primary, the Village of Dolton was reportedly slapped with a federal subpoena as officials demanded records tied to a land development allegedly tied to Henyard's boyfriend. Henyard is required to return for a hearing on June 11, with a judge set to decide if she is to remain in contempt of court while being fined $1,000 per day.
