Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot presented her initial findings in an investigation into Dolton’s finances amid an ongoing financial crisis in the village.
Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor, noted that the village has not had an annual report or audit since 2021, with the general fund for day-to-day operations about $3.65 million in debt.
The investigation also found that as of June 18, 589 checks worth more than $6 million had been approved but not sent to vendors.
Several purchases made by the village are under investigation, including $40,000 in Amazon purchases. The Dolton Village Council recently approved a change to the village’s credit card policy.
Lightfoot said Henyard, who is the subject of numerous lawsuits and investigations, has not cooperated with her investigation.
“I knew we were broke, and the way she explained it, it’s real,” Valerie Stubbs, a resident of NBC Chicago, told NBC Chicago.
Lightfoot added that her investigation into Dolton officials was not complete.
The findings come as Dolton’s interim police chief, who was placed on leave earlier this week, has been fired, with a plan in place for a hiring freeze, according to village trustees.
The village council also said the locks on the village hall were changed for the third time, leaving several elected officials without access.
