An Illinois mayor is being accused of not only dressing like the fictional drug kingpin Nino Brown from the 1991 flick “New Jack City,” but behaving like the character, too.
Mayor of Dolton, Illinois, Tiffany Henyard, reportedly dressed as the gangster during at least one meeting—a move “meant to intimidate,” her critics say, according to the New York Post. And not only that, she had a DJ blast Rihanna’s “B**** Better Have My Money” as she walked around to emphasize her point, sources told the outlet.
But that’s not all.
The former burger joint owner-turned-local politician is under fire for allegedly plundering Dolton’s coffers for personal extravagances, and using law enforcement allies to oppress opponents.
Lawrence Gardner, 57, told The Post Friday that Henyard shut down his trucking business because he refused to renew a $3,500 contribution to her political war chest.
Gardner claimed he made an initial donation to Henyard, but her minions kept coming back for more.
“I made the payment,” he said. “Then every year, she started coming and required the same thing, and we had a problem about that.”
When he refused, Gardner said, city officials fabricated claims that he was illegally selling alcohol and yanked his business license.
“What is she, Nino Brown?” he said. “Anything she wants done, she gets them to harass you. She likes nobody. If you are not doing what she say, if you are not doing how she’s saying to do it, you are a problem. She don’t like them.”
Gardner said Henyard and Village of Dolton Police Chief Lewis Lacey have blocked dozens of local businesses from operating because they failed to make the required payments.
The Post heard similar stories from numerous locals who claimed they had been harassed by police acting on Henyard’s orders. (New York Post)
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A 56-year-old former trustee, Valeria Stubbs, who has known Henyard for more than a decade, said she’s “never seen anything like this in my life,” despite being in politics since she was 18. Stubbs pointed to the more than $1 million she’s spent on security and an unapproved, even more expensive ice rink that is only open when she allows, as examples of her excessive spending.
The village in Cook County, Illinois, only boasts about 21,000 residents, but it’s about $5 million in debt, which critics say started accumulating after she took office in 2021.
“It was a vote that I regret deeply,” resident Sherry Britton told the Post. "When she got into office, she just shut everyone out and she went into the opposite direction. She became this tyrant and dictator.”
During official meetings, Tiffany Henyard is seen dressed as the movie gangster Nino Brown from 'New Jack City.'
— @amuse (@amuse) February 18, 2024
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