The Scandal-plagued mayor of Dolton, Illinois, Tiffany Henyard has announced her bid for re-election, with many reacting in shock after hearing the news.
Her announcement has triggered criticism as she battles accusations of embezzlement and a federal criminal investigation involving her and her allies.
As per a Daily Mail report, 41-year-old Henyard made the announcement on social media Tuesday, and is set to run in the February Democratic primary against Dolton Trustee Jason House, who is part of the “Clean House” slate, along with incumbent trustees.
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Fellow Trustee Kiana Belcher, who is running with House, since their announcement in July, has deemed Henyard’s re-election bid as “ridiculous.”
“The community does not want to continue under her leadership,” Belcher told the New York Post. “Whatever happens, she’s not going out without a fight. That’s one thing I can say—she’s a true fighter, so I’m not surprised.”
Henyard took office back in May 2021, and has been the subject of public ridicule after announcing her decision to seek re-election amid a series of scandals.
Social media users have gone on to leave their thoughts on the announcement, and have mocked her intentions, with one commenter writing, : “Gonna be difficult to run for mayor from jail.”
“Surely the people will come together and get rid of you once and for all. If not, they deserve you sadly”, another user stated.
Others have however questioned why Henyard “is not in federal prison” and has yet to resign. One user said: ‘You’ve got to be kidding me’.
Henyard currently earns a $300,000 salary, and has been criticized for billing the village $7,650 over two months for her hair and makeup, listing it as an “assistant” cost.
Other of her expenses included $3,000 for airfare to Las Vegas, where she claimed to have attended a conference.
In response to these allegations, the Dolton Board of Trustees voted 4-2 to hire former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to investigate the situation.
Lightfoot’s report, which was released in August, revealed a $3.6 million deficit in the village’s budget under Henyard’s leadership. One year after she took office, which is back in April 2022, Dolton reportedly had a $5.6 million budget surplus.
Lightfoot’s report also highlighted that $7,700 in purchases were made in a single day at Target, Walgreens, Wayfair, and other retailers in September 2023.
She noted “rampant” overtime payments to police officers, with two officers reportedly doubling their 2024 pay through six-figure overtime earnings, which led Henyard to being subsequently banned from using village credit cards.
The 41-year-old is also the subject of a separate federal investigation, and WGN 9 previously reported that the FBI issued subpoenas involving Henyard, her political committee, her cancer charity, her boyfriend, two relatives, four trustees, her deputy police chief, and even her defunct burger business.
This is not the first time Henyard has faced political peril. One year into her tenure, the village’s board, which includes several current candidates running against her, placed two recall referendums on the ballot.
That effort came after major Tiffany Henyard hired convicted sex offender Lavelle Redmond as a code enforcement officer. This was a position that required him to enter homes, and many were displeased with it, knowing the dangers it came with. Redmond was then fired in August 2022 after reportedly speaking to a Chicago Tribune reporter.
The first referendum, which passed with 56% of the vote, approved mayoral recall powers. The second, contingent on the first, asked if major Tiffany Henyard should be recalled, with 56% again voting in favor.
Henyard sued back in April and a three-judge panel with an appellate court sided with her in a September ruling, arguing that both referendums were not drafted correctly.
