Chicago area law office says south suburban Dolton hasn't paid for legal work
CHICAGO (CBS) – Lawyers who did work for the Village of Dolton withdrew from multiple cases after saying they haven't been paid.
In a letter to embattled Mayor Tiffany Henyard and members of the Village Board, the Del Galdo Law Group said it plans to file motions to withdraw from the cases by next week. At least two cases involved police shootings.
The law group claimed the board voted to stop paying legal bills and they won't work for free. The move comes as former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is investigating allegations that Henyard has misused taxpayer funds.
Lightfoot will be tasked with investigating those claims, and also a village employee's claims that she was sexually assaulted by a Dolton village trustee on a trip to Las Vegas – and then retaliated against. The employee claimed after she told the mayor about the lawsuit, she was eventually fired.
Henyard is also facing a series of lawsuits from former employees who allege wrongful termination. The ex-village employees claim the Village of Dolton and Thornton Township – of which Henyard is supervisor – terminated the employment of several staffers without just cause or due process. Attorneys claimed the mayor violated state and federal employment laws and the staffers' constitutional rights.