The Illinois village of Dolton has voted in favor of a decision to rent ex-Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to research its personal chief, Tiffany Henyard, who’s accused of misusing taxpayer funds and numerous different corrupt practices.
Lightfoot, who misplaced her reelection bid in a landslide final 12 months, stated she was “honored” to be tasked with the investigation of Henyard — Dolton’s self-proclaimed “Tremendous Mayor.”
“As somebody who has made good governance the cornerstone of my profession in public service, I acknowledge that sustaining the belief of these you serve and making choices of their finest pursuits is crucial,” Lightfoot stated in a press release on Monday night.
“The residents of Dolton deserve nothing lower than a authorities that’s totally accountable, responsive, clear, and efficient stewards of taxpayer {dollars}.”
Lightfoot stated her expertise main Chicago would assist present findings and proposals “with out bias.”
Dolton’s village board voted to rent Lightfoot on Monday evening in an unofficial assembly being held at an offsite park district facility fairly than the Dolton Village Corridor.
Lightfoot will probably be tasked with offering periodic updates to the board on the investigation into Henyard’s alleged misconduct and lavish spending, offering a complete report at its conclusion.
She is going to reportedly be retained for $400 per hour, in accordance with Fox 32.
Lightfoot, beforehand an lawyer with the highly effective Chicago regulation agency of Mayer Brown, a federal prosecutor and Chicago’s first Black feminine and overtly homosexual mayor, misplaced her bid for a second time period final 12 months.
Monday evening’s vote at a particular assembly got here after 4 Dolton Board of Trustees members proposed hiring Lightfoot as further legislative counsel to probe Henyard.
The investigation stems from a collection of occasions surrounding a tax-funded “financial improvement” journey to Las Vegas in Might 2023.
There was allegedly “a complete failure to report something relative to potential financial improvement, or another occasions that befell in Las Vegas, to the Board of Trustees” upon Henyard’s return, in accordance with the board.
The Village Board says it needs a radical investigation into the journey, together with all expenditures, allegations of misconduct and inner investigations.
Henyard can be going through allegations she misspent federal COVID-19 reduction funds, employed contractors with out looking for correct bids, overpaid distributors with out approval from the board, and accepted massive marketing campaign contributions from distributors chosen by the mayor.
The decision additionally states the board later realized of “critical sexual assault allegations” made by an unnamed former Dolton worker in opposition to a board trustee whereas in Las Vegas, and that Henyard and others in her administration “have gone to nice lengths to cover-up and conceal the alleged sexual misconduct and reporting of the sexual misconduct.”
“Us determining what occurred in Vegas is extraordinarily essential for the residents,” Dolton Board of Trustee member Brittney Norwood instructed The Put up.
Henyard’s constituents have additionally complained in regards to the ostentatious mayor’s huge billboards bearing her face throughout city and the “militarization” of native police in opposition to her political opponents.
The board has accused her of overlaying up private bills she paid for utilizing village cash. Henyard’s administration has denied the board’s quite a few requests over the previous 12 months for monetary paperwork, leaving them at nighttime in regards to the state of Dolton’s funds.
Final month, Henyard vetoed a decision handed unanimously by the village board to open the probe, calling on her to submit the village’s monetary information.
The FBI can be reportedly investigating Henyard’s alleged misuse of taxpayer cash, together with the a whole lot of hundreds of {dollars} the village paid in police extra time allegdly for Henyard’s private safety element and accusations she held up licenses to sure companies.
Henyard has repeatedly refused to step down.
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