Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who after her defeat in her reelection bid last year said she had been treated unfairly because she was “a black woman in America,” has been hired at a rate of $400 an hour to investigate Dolton, Illinois, Mayor Tiffany Henyard’s alleged corruption.
“Lightfoot’s to-do list is long, including finding millions in Dolton’s unpaid bills and a lavish village-funded trip to Las Vegas for Henyard, a few trustees and village employees last year,” ABC7 Chicago reported.
Lightfoot should investigate “all allegations of misconduct, and all internal investigations, if any, along with any village state and federal law violations,” Dolton Trustee Jason House stated.
“I bring expertise in leading investigations of this kind and understand the complex challenges of governing. I will follow the facts where they lead, without bias, and reserve comments until the work is complete,” Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor, told the Dolton board, which had voted earlier this year to ask the FBI and other entities to investigate Henyard but were stymied by Henyard’s veto.
Lightfoot issued a statement after the board’s decision:
I am honored that the Village of Dolton Board of Trustees has placed their confidence in me to conduct a thorough and timely independent investigation into the matters outlined in the resolution regarding Mayor Tiffany Henyard and her administration. As someone who has made good governance the cornerstone of my career in public service, I recognize that maintaining the trust of those you serve and making decisions in their best interests is essential. The residents of Dolton deserve nothing less than a government that is fully accountable, responsive, transparent, and effective stewards of taxpayer dollars.
As a lawyer, former federal prosecutor, and mayor, I bring expertise in leading investigations of this kind and understand the complex challenges of governing. I will follow the facts where they lead, without bias, and reserve comments until the work is complete. At the conclusion of this investigation, I will provide an assessment of the findings and recommendations. I welcome and urge the full cooperation of Mayor Henyard, her staff, Village Trustees, vendors, and others who have information relevant to this inquiry.
At the Monday board meeting at which the board voted to hire Lightfoot, one speaker questioned the move, saying, “We just want to know that once we get what we’re looking for, what happens next?”
“At the end of the day, haven’t gotten results from simple FOIA, so how are you going to be different?” another speaker echoed.
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“It is my sincere hope that Mayor Henyard will voluntarily cooperate, but should they not, we are prepared to do what is necessary to get to the facts,” Lightfoot responded.
Henyard, who earns $300,000 a year for her mayoral duties and has admitted the city has a $2 million deficit, can veto the board’s current vote for an investigation.
According to The Daily Mail, the Illinois Attorney General shut down Henyard’s charity last month following accusations that it used taxpayer money and the services of public workers.