'America's worst mayor' Tiffany Henyard dropped by law firm that's representing ... trends now
The law firm representing the woman dubbed 'America's worst mayor' has vowed to stop defending her in court after she failed to pay them.
The Del Galdo Law Group is asking to withdraw from cases in which it represents Mayor Tiffany Henyard and the village of Dolton, Illinois.
In a letter to Henyard and trustees, the firm said the village is approaching the point of becoming uninsurable. It faces millions of dollars in judgments from earlier cases and could potentially be required to shell out millions more in the coming months.
To add insult to injury, the firm has allegedly not been paid for its work.
'The Board recently voted to stop paying our legal bills,' reads the letter provided to DailyMail.com. 'We are, of course, not required to work for free and decline to do so.'
The Del Galdo Law Group is asking to withdraw from cases in which it represents Mayor Tiffany Henyard and the village of Dolton, Illinois
The firm, headed by senior partner Michael Del Galdo, claims it has not been paid, and warns that the village is nearing the point of being 'uninsurable'
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was hired to investigate claims against Henyard, who is accused of misusing taxpayer funds, wrongful termination and covering up sexual assault
The firm announced that it would no longer be entering any appearances or defending newly filed cases and would withdraw from an additional 19 cases, effective May 8.
Five of the cases involve 'serious injury or death,' including two 'jail suicide by hanging cases' and two 'officer involved shooting wrongful death causes of action'.
'No one wants to represent the Village,' the firm continued.
'The Village already has a $33.5 million judgment against it that the previous administration and the Board ignored please to settle within policy limits, where the Village's best hope is that the jury verdict will be reversed on appeal.
'If that is unsuccessful, the Village will owe more than $20M in excess insurance policy limits on that case alone.'
According to the firm, Dolton 'is quickly approaching the point of being uninsurable' due to its immense debt.
In addition to her entanglement in the village's legal affairs, Henyard, 40, is the subject of 22 lawsuits regarding her conduct.
She faces a slew of accusations ranging from misusing funds while Dolton slides deeper into debt, to wrongful termination, to covering up sexual misconduct by a village employee.
The self-dubbed 'super mayor,' who became the first woman to assume the position in 2021, faces a total of 22 lawsuits so far
Three former employees allege they were fired after refusing to do political favors for Henyard, including compiling a list of 'dirt' on Thornton Township workers
In another lawsuit, a former employee claims she was sexually assaulted by Dolton village trustee Andrew Holmes during a trip to Las Vegas - which was largely funded by taxpayer money
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot was tapped to investigate claims against Henyard, and the case has even attracted the attention of the FBI. On Friday, the agency served subpoenas on Thornton Township, where Henyard also serves as township supervisor.
Amid mounting tensions, dozens of residents rallied in nearby Calumet City on Saturday afternoon. One demonstrator held a poster proclaiming, 'Thornton Township belongs to us!'
Among the nearly two dozen lawsuits are cases brought by three former employees who claim they were wrongfully fired.
The plaintiffs are named as Samysha Williams, former director of building permits and licenses for the Village of Dolton; Sandra Tracy, former human resources manager for Thornton Township; and Karen Johnson, former Dolton Public Works Department administrative assistant.
The former employees allege they were fired for refusing to perform political favors for Henyard.
In one instance, the mayor 'asked Tracy for a list of all Township employees...with notes detailing all their faults and any known “dirt on them,” including information which may have violated the employees’ privacy rights,' according to documents reviewed by DailyMail.com.
Williams also sued Henyard for defamation in a separate suit, claiming the mayor accused her of defrauding the village as an employee in campaign filings.
The complaint also alleges slander and libel and seeks damages in excess of $50,000.
Henyard was also named alongside Dolton village trustee Andrew Holmes in a civil suit that includes allegations of sexual assault.
A former village employee claims she was sexually assaulted by Holmes during a work trip to Las Vegas. She and a police officer allege they were fired after informing Henyard of the
