Democrat mayor faces FBI investigation over allegations of corruption, abuse of power — all as she rakes in massive salary

The FBI is reportedly investigating misconduct and corruption allegations involving Democrat Tiffany Henyard, a small-town Illinois politician.

Henyard serves as mayor of Dolton, Illinois, a small village south of Chicago, and the supervisor of Thornton Township. She made headlines earlier this month when she lashed out at Dolton trustees for questioning her lavish spending habits. Questioning her spending, Henyard asserted, is akin to "attacking a black woman in power."

Despite the village being millions of dollars in debt, Henyard has allegedly used taxpayer funds for extravagant trips, fine dining, first-class travel, self-promotion, her personal charity, and an expensive police detail, according to WGN-TV. All the while, Henyard rakes in a salary of nearly $300,000.

Now, the FBI is looking into allegations of misconduct, including abuse of power and corruption.

Lawrence Gardner, the owner of a U-Haul rental and trucking business in Dolton, told WFLD-TV that he met with the FBI after city officials allegedly harassed him and shut down his business in retaliation for not donating to an event that Henyard sponsored.

"I talked to a couple of agents and I explained to them what's going on," he told the news outlet. "I gave them all my paperwork to show them what was happening in court and what was happening in Dolton. And they told me they were investigating and would be in touch with me."

Dewayne Wood, a local restaurant owner, told a similar story.

Although he has not yet spoken with FBI agents, Wood said Dolton city officials are not renewing the business license for his restaurant because he has provided catering services to Dolton trustees who oppose Henyard.

"I've heard rumors that say, hey, I'm on the wrong team," Wood told WFLD. "I think I've been targeted because of my association, affiliation with a certain group of people. ... The trustees. I've cooked for the trustees."

In total, WFLD located six people with whom the FBI has already spoken. WFLD reported:

Agents are asking questions about Henyard's alleged use of taxpayer dollars and resources, including massive spending on out-of-town trips. They’ve also inquired about hundreds of thousands of dollars in police overtime for Henyard’s personal security detail, her alleged use of public employees and tax dollars for personal benefit, and the holding up of licenses to certain businesses.

For her part, Henyard has denied allegations of wrongdoing. In a statement, a public relations firm speaking on her behalf denied knowledge of the FBI's investigation.

"Mayor Tiffany Henyard and the Village of Dolton have not received any subpoenas and have not been contacted by the FBI or any other law enforcement agency," the statement said.

The FBI, on the other hand, is not speaking about the investigation, consistent with agency policy.

Meanwhile, Illinois Attorney General's Office has ordered Heynard's charity — the Tiffany Henyard Cares Foundation, which supposedly helps cancer patients — to stop soliciting donations. The foundation is accused of not filing financial disclosure forms.

After WFLD broke news of the FBI's investigation, two Dolton bars were raided by city police. The owners of those establishments believe they are being targeted for political retaliation.

FBI probing Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard's misconduct allegationswww.youtube.com

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!