Dolton trustees override Henyard’s veto of Lightfoot investigation
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DOLTON, Ill. — Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was in south suburban Dolton on Monday night where she has been asked to investigate Village Mayor Tiffany Henyard.
During the meeting, four members of the Dolton Board of Tustees voted to override Mayor Henyard’s veto of their Lightfoot hire.
The meeting devolved into chaos and police eventually threatened to jail anyone who failed to clear the room.
Before the meeting, which was expected to be contentious, police blocked off the road in front of Village Hall and the parking lot.
When WGN-TV asked the deputy police chief why the barricades were put up, he said he would not answer.
During the meeting, Lightfoot tried to deliver remarks about her investigation, but her mic was cut. Lightfoot continued speaking, however, and said her work never stopped, even though Henyard vetoed her appointment.
“I commend the Village of Dolton Board of Trustees for decisively exercising their authority to override Mayor Henyard’s veto and preventing any attempts to stall an independent investigation into the matters outlined in the resolution. A majority of trustees remain committed to performing their fiduciary responsibilities on fiscal oversight and advocating for the best interests of Dolton residents. They understand that Village residents deserve a transparent and thorough process. I look forward to the work ahead and urge Mayor Henyard and her administration to fully cooperate with this investigation by promptly providing the requested documentation to give all concerned a complete and accurate accounting of the fiscal conditions for the Village,” Lightfoot said in a statement following Monday’s meeting.
Tensions flared throughout the lengthy meeting. At one point, some attendees even accused Henyard of filibustering and turned their backs to the mayor while she spoke.
Trustee Andrew Holmes showed up to Monday’s meeting, it was his first appearance at a meeting since he was accused of sexual assault during a taxpayer trip to Las Vegas. Holmes has not been charged with any crimes.
Subpoenas reveal Tiffany Henyard & her allies are FBI focus
Mayor Henyard made another veto on Monday. She struck down the appointment of Jason House as Mayor Pro-Tem.
Trustees who appointed House to the position say it was because Henyard has a history of missing special meetings and often refuses to allow some business to be put on the agenda for the village’s regular meetings.
Mayor Henyard is the focus of a wide-ranging federal investigation over questionable spending and cronyism.
Henyard is accused of spending $100,000 in taxpayer money on lavish travel. Many of the accusations against her were uncovered by WGN Investigates.
WGN is now suing the Village of Dolton for refusing to release spending records and documents related to Henyard’s pay.
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