Democratic Illinois 'super mayor' vetoes attempt to probe her lavish spending

Democratic Mayor Tiffany Henyard of the small Village of Dolton, Illinois, vetoed a resolution on Monday by a local board calling for an external probe to be launched into her alleged misuse of funds.

The self-described "super mayor," who has gained national attention for being accused of spending taxpayer money on luxurious trips and weaponizing police in retaliatory business raids, slammed last month’s vote by the Dolton, Illinois, village board as being illegal and driven by personal attacks from a "boys club."

She vowed to "fight back" against the alleged smear campaign against her in which she has been accused of traveling on first-class flights to Las Vegas, spending hefty amounts at beauty vendors and splashing over $1 million on a police detail despite the small village having a population of around 23,000 people.

The resolution she vetoed also called for her to submit the village's financial records.

CONTROVERSIAL DEMOCRAT MAYOR UNDER INVESTIGATION AFTER WILD TIRADES, POLICE RAIDS, LAVISH SPENDING

"As you can see, our village, our community, myself, we are under attack," Henyard said at the village board meeting on Monday.

"It’s a shame that people can come to meetings and just tell one side of the stories and not get the entire side of both stories." 

She claimed that the village board was "a boys club" that doesn’t want women like her leading. 

"I’m going to always fight for what’s right, and I always stay the course. And I will be victorious when all the dust clears," she added.

Henyard said she is launching a podcast on Friday that will explain all the town’s finances.

"It will be all facts, receipts," she said, according to the Chicago Tribune. 

Dolton Trustees slammed the mayor at last month’s vote for having "disgraced this entire village" and being a "stain on our community."

They vowed to override her veto during next month’s meeting.

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During the village board meeting, it was revealed that Dalton owes more than $427,000 for street paving and another $400,000 for tree-trimming services, local WGN 9 reports.

WGN 9 reported last month that a bank threatened to repossess more than a dozen village vehicles – including police cars – because lease payments were missed. After the report was published, the village sent a check to pay the bills.

"The mayor can blame everybody for what’s going on, but she has to look at herself," former trustee Edward Steave said during Monday’s meeting.

Resident Vivian Allen called for Henyard to step down to save Dolton's finances.

"You lied to us as residents. You do not, you do not stand for me," Allen said. "And I want you to step down as mayor today and save our village from this deficit you have caused."

Despite the veto, FOX 32 has confirmed that the FBI is questioning people in relation to Henyard’s activities. Six individuals have reportedly spoken to the agency about her alleged misconduct, including business owners, a former village employee and one or more public officials.

For instance, according to FOX 32, a Dolton-based U-Haul rental and trucking business owner named Lawrence Gardner said he went to the FBI out of frustration that the Village of Dolton would not renew his business license. He claims he has suffered from harassment, a raid on his business and being shut down by Dolton police. Gardner believes it is retaliation after he refused to donate to a civic event sponsored by Henyard.

A public relations firm responding on behalf of Henyard told FOX 32 late last month that she had not been contacted by the FBI so far. The FBI previously told Fox News Digital it does not comment on the nature, existence or nonexistence of any investigation that may be occurring.

Fox News Digital previously reported that Henyard has been living like a royal with a combined salary of nearly $300,000 – more than the state's governor – and frequent use of beauty vendors, despite the residents of the Illinois town having a median income of $24,000. Henyard has also come under fire for various tirades in public meetings, accusing her critics among local leaders of "beating and attacking on a Black woman that’s in power."

She makes $285,000 from her positions both as Dolton mayor and Thornton township supervisor.

Henyard reportedly has a $224,000 a year salary as township supervisor alone, but has put forth an ordinance to cut the salary of any non-incumbent supervisor to $25,000.

Municipal attorney Burt Odelson, said to represent Henyard's political opposition, condemned this as "so illegal in so many ways," telling FOX 32 such conduct "violates so many tenets of the law." 

Henyard has insisted God "chose" her and she met with President Biden in January.

Fox News' Alexander Hall, Alexa Moutevelis and Hannah Grossman contributed to this report.

House GOP relents on LGBT center funding in $460B package as Dems cheer lack of 'poison pills'

The $460 billion government funding bill the House of Representatives is set to vote on Wednesday includes $1 million marked for an LGBTQ community center that once held a drag event with children.

It comes as Democrats celebrate the lack of "poison pills" in the bill while GOP hardliners lament what they call a lost opportunity to force passage of conservative policies.

The earmark for the William Way LGBT Community Center in Philadelphia was advocated for by Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., and Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman, both Pennsylvania Democrats. 

A 2016 article published in the Philadelphia Gay News titled, "Youth celebrate the art of drag at William Way," described an 11-year-old boy named Esai and an 8-year-old named Max participating in a youth drag event at the center.

CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS STRIKE SHORT-TERM DEAL TO AVOID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

"When Esai slides down from his chair, his blonde hair is in tight curls, his lips are purple and his eyes are lidded with pink and silver eye shadow against his rosy face. He teeters by in heeled boots far too big for him and changes out of his purple ‘We Are Made of Stars’ T–shirt. He could be any little girl playing dress-up, save for the expert cosmetic application," the article reads.

It described his makeup as being applied by "a bearded man in studded leather platform boots."

"Max dances to ‘No’ by Meghan Trainor, periodically dropping into the splits in his long, red dress. None of this is choreographed – it really is just kids dancing around, playing dress–up, having fun," it said of the 8-year-old.

The allocation was highlighted in a memo by Americans Advancing Freedom (AAF), a policy and advocacy group started by former Vice President Mike Pence.

GOP HARDLINERS FURIOUS AT JOHNSON FOR PASSING ANOTHER SHORT-TERM SPENDING BILL WITH DEMS: 'USUAL C--P'

It’s one of more than 6,000 allocations in the bill, which total $12.7 billion in spending – something conservative lawmakers are furious about.

"Earmarks are basically, it's congressional crack," Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., told Fox News Digital. "Congressional opium – and opium is O-P-M, other people's money. Congress is hooked on it."

"You get people to vote for it, you increase spending, increased borrowing, you send our nation further down the track of fiscal irresponsibility," he said.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, argued that lawmakers will not have enough time to properly scour the bill’s contents with all of the additional details.

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"There is no way any mortal could actually vet all of the earmarks in the 48-hour time period they’ve given us so far. These highlights are just the tip of the iceberg. Heads must roll," he wrote.

Meanwhile, AAF’s memo pointed out that policies that GOP hardliners fought to include in the bill – like limitations on transgender medical care, pride flag displays, and critical race theory – were not included in the final bill.

It’s something Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., celebrated on Tuesday, declaring the bills were free of "devastating cuts or poison pill riders pushed by the MAGA."

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