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Dolton, Illinois mayor’s former assistant turns on her over ‘unethical and predatory behavior’

Dolton, Illinois mayor’s former assistant turns on her over ‘unethical and predatory behavior’

A former assistant to controversial Dolton, Illinois Mayor Tiffany Henyard says she is blowing the whistle on the embattled “supermayor” for her lavish spending on the taxpayer’s dime, accusing Henyard of “unethical and predatory behavior” in order to “increase her influence.”  Henyard, who also serves as Supervisor for the neighboring Thornton Township, has been dogged by scandal for months and has been accused of misdeeds, excessive spending, allegations of corruption and retaliating against co-workers.  Despite the controversies and calls for her resignation, she has remained resolute in her roles, but now Thornton Township trustee Carmen Carlisle has come forward to spill the beans on the bombastic mayor.   STATE FUNDS TO DOLTON CUT AS EMBATTLED ‘SUPERMAYOR’ TIFFANY HENYARD TRIES TO REINSTATE INDICTED POLICE CHIEF “Today, I am breaking my silence and speaking out against Thornton Township Supervisor and Mayor of Dolton Tiffany Henyard, who I believe has engaged in unethical and predatory behavior throughout her tenure,” Carlisle wrote in an emailed statement to WGN.  “For the past two years, Henyard has manipulated employees, vendors, and residents, using her position to increase her influence, all while projecting a false image of success, funded by the hardworking taxpayers of Thornton Township and the Village of Dolton.”  Carlisle, who was an assistant to Henyard before being appointed a trustee in May 2023, said at a recent special board meeting that she rarely raised questions about extravagant trips and other spending charged to township taxpayers because she “trusted the administration,” per the report.  Carlisle and other township trustees then voted to put new restrictions on spending on special events and access to credit cards.  “I am standing up, not just for myself, but for others who have been affected by what I see as Henyard’s abusive leadership,” Carlisle’s statement continued. “I believe there are many more victims who have been retaliated against, fired or lied to by Henyard, but have yet to speak out.”  Henyard responded to the apparent show of disloyalty by announcing a new nickname for Carlisle.  “I think I’m going to get you a new nickname: ‘Lyin’ Carlisle,’” Henyard said at the public meeting. “I’m tired of everyone in here. There always has to be a show.”  WGN reported in January that Henyard and her entourage racked up $67,000 in charges for trips to Portland, Austin, Atlanta and New York City in a five-month span. Carlisle was on at least one of the trips along with other trustees and township officials. In Atlanta, the group stayed at the Four Seasons and billed taxpayers more than $9,300. CONTROVERSIAL MAYOR POSTS VIDEO WITH BIDEN JUST DAYS AFTER RIPPING COLLEAGUES FOR ‘ATTACKING ON A BLACK WOMAN’ Carlisle said at the recent special meeting that the moment she didn’t trust the administration or the process, she began asking questions.   “I worked as your assistant. I saw a lot. I heard a lot. … The first time I ever really questioned supporting you is when you went on this national platform and you said you didn’t know anything about a foundation. But you forget that I was in certain rooms when certain things happened,” Carlisle said according to The Lansing Journal.  Henyard has been under scrutiny for her role with the Tiffany A. Henyard Cares Foundation.  In a September 2022 meeting, Henyard and the township board voted to give $10,000 to the foundation, which claims to help people with cancer. Records viewed by the Illinois Answers project show the foundation’s paperwork was filed with the state the same day that the township payment was approved. An Illinois Answers Project and FOX 32 investigation found that thousands of taxpayer dollars were spent on a group bicycle ride to Springfield in support of a breast cancer bill, but the bill was never formally filed, and state lawmakers weren’t in session. “You were not honest about that foundation,” Carlisle said at the meeting. “You came to my house after that, unannounced, and tried to get me to say somebody else started that foundation that didn’t.” Meanwhile, former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has been hired as a “special investigator” by the Village of Dolton to look into Henyard’s alleged misdeeds.    Lightfoot stated in a preliminary report earlier this month that in April 2022, Dolton’s general fund balance was $5.61 million, but by May 2024, the balance had dropped to a deficit of $3.65 million. Lightfoot also disclosed that Henyard used the village credit card to make purchases at Amazon, Target, Walgreens, Wayfair and other retailers.  One jaw-dropping statement revealed that the embattled mayor had dropped $33,000 on Jan. 5, 2023 on Amazon.  The accusations of financial misdeeds have prompted an ongoing FBI investigation. Henyard, who typically speaks into a golden microphone at meetings, has also come under fire for an alleged sexual assault by one of her allies during a Las Vegas trip, where the alleged victim claims to have been fired after speaking out.  Furthermore, Lewis A. Lacey, the former deputy chief of police of Dolton and an ally of Henyard, was indicted earlier this month by a federal grand jury on bankruptcy fraud charges and is accused of concealing assets and income to avoid paying creditors and settling a lawsuit. In February, it was reported that the FBI was investigating Henyard after six people had reportedly spoken to the agency about her alleged misconduct, including “business owners, a former village employee and one or more public officials.”  In April, the FBI served two federal subpoenas as part of an investigation. Henyard was not served. The first one was for employment records, personnel files and disciplinary reports for 25 Dolton employees, including three police officers and Keith Freeman, who is the village administrator and Henyard’s top aide. Freeman was charged with bankruptcy fraud. The second subpoena was served specifically on Freeman, asking for records of all companies associated with him and possible ties to the village. Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report. 

GOP chairman subpeonas Biden officials to appear for sworn depositions on voter mobilization EO

GOP chairman subpeonas Biden officials to appear for sworn depositions on voter mobilization EO

FIRST ON FOX: A House Republican is issuing subpoenas to five Biden administration agency officials to sit for sworn depositions after the congressman claimed their respective agencies failed to comply with previous congressional subpoenas to turn over their strategic plans to implement President Biden’s executive order (EO) on Promoting Access to Voting.  In March 2021, Biden signed Promoting Access to Voting, which states that “executive departments and agencies should partner with State, local, Tribal, and territorial election officials to protect and promote the exercise of the right to vote, eliminate discrimination and other barriers to voting, and expand access to voter registration and accurate election information.” The plan has already come under scrutiny from Senate Republicans, who have called it a federal “voter mobilization” effort with “potentially partisan impacts.” HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBPOENAS 15 BIDEN CABINET SECRETARIES TO HAND OVER DOCUMENTS ON VOTER MOBILIZATION ‘SCHEME’ Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis.,chairman of the Committee on House Administration, in June subpoenaed Biden’s 15 cabinet secretaries for their detailed plans for carrying out the order just five months out from the November election.  On Thursday, he deployed another set of subpoenas, this time to officials he claims have “direct knowledge” of how their respective agencies implemented the EO.  Subpoenas were sent to officials at the Department of Labor, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Justice and Department of Agriculture for the officials to testify under oath.  “Americans deserve transparency and trust in their elections. However, the Biden Administration has refused to comply with a lawfully issued congressional subpoena and cooperate with our investigation into their plan to use federal agencies to ‘get out the vote,’” Steil said. TOP GOP SENATORS SLAM BIDEN ADMIN FOR ‘HIDDEN’ PLANS ON FEDERAL GET-OUT-THE-VOTE EFFORTS “The Committee has concerns about the implementation of E.O. 14019, particularly regarding its compatibility with provisions of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993,” the cover letter to the subpoenas reads. “Congress delegates to federal agencies specific functions and missions, which by law they are required to follow. Congress’s delegation of authority to [the agencies] does not include using funds and resources to provide Americans with voter registration materials,” it says.  “Federal law requires that only U.S. citizens who choose to register to vote must have the opportunity to do so, and every lawful vote must count according to law. Increased voter registration and participation is a goal all Americans share,”the subpoena states. “At the same time, our system requires that our actions must always comply with the Constitution and federal law.” Steil noted in the subpoena that according to Article I, section 4 of the Constitution, States have the primary role in establishing election law and administering elections, which includes voter registration. DOJ’S ELECTION PLAN RAISES THREAT OF ‘SELECTIVE ENFORCEMENT’ AGAINST RED STATES, WATCHDOG WARNS “And, to the extent the Elections Clause contains a federal ‘fail-safe,’ it is Congress to which the Constitution delegates that power—not the President. The President’s role is limited to enforcing enacted legislation passed by Congress; therefore, the President must exercise great restraint when attempting to act on election law,” Steil said.  “Furthermore, the Constitution’s voting rights amendments and federal law only protect the right of U.S. citizens to vote. To protect these rights, Congress has made it a crime for noncitizens to vote in federal elections and for anyone to assist noncitizens attempting to vote. Fox News digital reached out to DOJ, HHS, HUD, Dept. of Labor, and Dept. of Agriculture for comment.  

Harris primed for first campaign interview as critics rail against alleged lack of substance, sit-downs

Harris primed for first campaign interview as critics rail against alleged lack of substance, sit-downs

Vice President Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz are scheduled to sit for their first campaign interview on Thursday night with CNN anchor Dana Bash in Atlanta. For the prior 38 days, Harris has been lambasted for failing to take substantive questions from the press or take part in such an event. By contrast, former President Trump has held at least two press conferences and participated in interviews across the spectrum, including with Fox News Channel. Trump and Harris are scheduled to meet for a Sept. 10 televised debate. 38 DAYS: VP REFUSES TO REVEAL POLICY POSITIONS As the interview approaches, viewers have been reminded of prior appearances, including a 2021 discussion with NBC’s Lester Holt in which Harris was criticized for her response to a question about not visiting the Mexican border. “And I haven’t been to Europe, I don’t understand the point that you’re making. I’m not discounting the importance of the border,” Harris told Holt in a moment that went viral on the Republican side of the aisle. After Harris’ speech at the convention, the Wall Street Journal editorial board wrote that the presentation was “confident, optimistic, [but] mostly devoid of policy substance.” “Whether she can keep this up, unexplained and unexposed, for the next 12 weeks will determine whether she becomes America’s 47th President,” the editorial board wrote.  In recent days, however, Harris has garnered some high-profile surrogates on the campaign trail. KERRY KENNEDY HITS THE STUMP FOR HARRIS AFTER BROTHER RFK JR JOINS TEAM TRUMP After former independent candidate and Democrat scion Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dropped his bid for president and endorsed Trump, the Harris campaign announced a spate of joint appearances with Kerry Kennedy, who is Kennedy Jr.’s sister and a particularly vocal critic of her brother’s politicking. In Arizona, Kennedy appeared with labor activist Dolores Huerta, who spoke onstage with Robert F. Kennedy Sr. the night he was assassinated on the campaign trail in Los Angeles in 1968. On Aug. 7, Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, told reporters he was having a “bit of fun” when he found himself on the same tarmac as Air Force Two in Eau Claire, Wis. Vance approached Harris’ ride and told reporters, “I just wanted to check out my future plane,” adding that he wanted to see about greeting Harris and asking her why she “refuse[s] to answer questions from the media.” “I at least have enough respect for you all and for the American people to come and talk to you and answer questions.” While Thursday will mark her first interview, the inclusion of Walz led to the announcement being critiqued on X. “Kamala Harris is doing a joint interview with Tim Walz on Thursday. She legit can’t do an interview by herself,” said OutKick founder Clay Travis. Meanwhile, Minnesota Republican strategist Dustin Grage surmised that Walz is a “better communicator than Kamala Harris” and posted a clip of Walz sitting for an interview with a CBS affiliate. “This is why he will be her support animal in Thursday’s interview with CNN. But there is also a reason it will be pre-recorded, because even in softball interviews, it’s hard to remember all of those lies on the spot.” Ahead of her interview, Harris and Walz embarked on a South Georgia bus tour that begins and ends in Savannah. While Chatham County – where the city is located – is safely in Democrat hands, the campaign hopes the stops on the stump will bring more voters into the Harris-Walz fold. South Georgia writ large leans Republican. In southwest Georgia, longtime Democrat Rep. Sanford Bishop’s Warner Robins-Albany seat is seen as a potential but borderline pickup for Republicans if they have a good year at the polls. Reps. Buddy Carter and Austin Scott’s GOP seats in the region remain safely Republican, according to Cook PVI ratings. “[The bus tour offers the] opportunity to get to places we don’t usually go [and] make sure we’re competing in all communities,” said Harris campaign communications director Michael Tyler. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Tyler told the Associated Press that Harris retained President Biden’s custom of taking part in informal get-togethers but that the venues have changed, pointing to a recent pit stop in Aliquippa, Pa., where they visited a high school football practice. Walz is a former teacher and football coach. Georgia has also been a contentious state for both parties. Democrats flipped both U.S. Senate seats in recent years, while Trump has warred with otherwise popular GOP Gov. Brian Kemp. The Republican nominee’s tone reportedly changed in recent times, as the governor was lauded by his longtime critic for his “help and support” in the Peach State. “A win [here] is so important to the success of our party and most importantly our country,” Trump said on X. Fox News Digital’s Brian Flood contributed to this report.