Faced with fury over spending, Henyard went on media tour — and billed taxpayers
DOLTON, Ill. — Soon after outraged residents began filling public meetings demanding answers from self-proclaimed “Super Mayor” Tiffany Henyard, the south suburban politician hit the road for a series of interviews to try to reset the narrative about her spending, leadership style and tumultuous tenure.
Henyard appeared in-studio for an interview with Roland Martin in Washington, DC in late February and then travelled to New York City to be on the “Way Up with Angela Yee” program.
Now, WGN Investigates has obtained credit card records that show Thornton Township taxpayers were billed for a portion of the media tour.
Township credit card bills show a photographer named David Dickerson was paid $3,259 plus an additional $561 for Dickerson’s airfare between Chicago, Washington and New York. Dickerson confirmed to WGN Investigates that we hired by Henyard’s team to take photos of during her interviews with Martin and Yee. He doesn’t know what became of his images.
Records also show township taxpayers were billed $1,100 for 13 Uber rides between February 27 and March 2, which coincide with Henyard’s trip to the East Coast. The charges were billed to township administrator Keith Freeman’s government credit card. Freeman is currently under federal indictment for bankruptcy fraud for allegedly lying about his income from his second job as Henyard’s top aide in Dolton. He entered a “not guilty” plea.
More: Dolton mayor’s top aide pleads not guilty to bankruptcy fraud, village faces another lawsuit
“She’s on a mission basically for herself,” said township trustee Chris Gonzalez. “The township should not be paying for that – it should be coming out of her own pocket.”
Henyard is the supervisor of Thornton Township and mayor of Dolton. It’s unclear who paid for airfare and lodging for Henyard and the rest of her entourage. While the township released credit card records after a Freedom of Information Act request, the village of Dolton has repeatedly failed to do so in apparent violation of open records laws.
WGN is suing Dolton for access to public records after the village failed to turn them over despite an order from the Illinois Attorney General.
More: WGN sues Dolton for refusing to release spending records
A producer of one of the programs said Henyard’s media tour was arranged by the Whittley Agency, an Atlanta-based publicity firm which is paid $5,000 per month by Thornton Township. The firm’s founder and CEO, Dora Whittley, did not respond to detailed questions from WGN Investigates submitted several weeks ago other than to write our questions were “under review” and they “plan to have a statement once that review is completed.”
The Whittley Agency previously said its representatives serve as spokespeople for Dolton and Thornton Township.
WGN Investigates first began exposing Henyard’s questionable spending and conduct in 2023 with a series of reports that exposed unexplained first class travel and stays at luxury hotels that cost taxpayers more than $100,000 in one year. There have also been allegations that Henyard punishes her perceived opponents, denies permits and licenses to people she deems insufficiently loyal and awards contracts to cronies.
Previous Coverage: Mayor, money and mistrust in Dolton
The Illinois Attorney General and the FBI have also looked into Henyard’s namesake cancer charity which received taxpayer money and used government vehicles and staff but failed to report its income or expenses. The AG ordered the Tiffany Henyard Cares Foundation to stop soliciting donations. All of it is the focus of a wide-ranging FBI investigation into her administrations in both the village and township.
More: Subpoenas reveal Tiffany Henyard & her allies are FBI focus
If Henyard’s East Coast media tour was meant to curry favor or sympathy from the hosts or online audience, a portion of it may have backfired. When host Roland Martin asked Henyard about the Tiffany Henyard Cares Foundation, she claimed it was not affiliated with her. “Somebody made up a foundation. They named it after me. They liked the work I do in the community,” she told Martin.
The next day, Martin delivered a stinging takedown of Henyard’s claims on his show telling viewers: “These are the types of questions that raise doubts in the minds of people regarding the veracity of Mayor Henyard,” Martin said. “It is not simply to say ‘Oh, I have no involvement.’ Respectfully, mayor, you do.”
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