Let's hope the federal government can quickly untangle Dolton's web of alleged shady dealings.

We're getting to the point where Dolton residents are going to need a Venn diagram to track the tangled relationships and alleged corruption linked to the village's self-proclaimed “super-mayor,” Tiffany Henyard.

The latest: Henyard was responsible for some $200,000 in no-bid, no-contract residential construction work going to a suburban construction company linked to property tax evasion schemes and bribes, according to a report by Casey Toner of Illinois Answers. Project, also published Sunday in the Sun-Times.

The company, OAKK Construction Co., is owned by Alex Nitchoff, who is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in federal court to bribing an employee of a Cook County assessor's office to obtain tax breaks land. The Nitchoff family previously owned a restaurant in Dolton, and the family businesses have donated thousands of dollars to Henyard's political campaign, the Sun-Times reported.

A $5,000 contribution to Henyard in 2022 came just days after OAKK billed Dolton $205,000 for no-bid, no-contract construction work on dozens of homes. OAKK then sent letters to homeowners threatening liens on their property when the village council, which had not authorized OAKK to do the work, was reluctant to pay the bills.

The owners apparently knew nothing about the arrangement, prompting one to write in an email to village officials: “I'm really confused right now. …It's stupid.

Yes it is. And unfortunately, this is the kind of fiscal wrangling that seems to be the norm for the Henyard administration.

The mayor, who is also Thornton Township supervisor, and some of her associates are among dozens of businesses, public officials and political leaders named in federal subpoenas issued last month when the FBI raided the Dolton village hall in search of municipal documents. Lori Lightfoot, a former Chicago mayor, is also looking into Henyard's village spending, at the request of trustees who hired Lightfoot in April.

There's a Gordian knot of alleged shady dealings to examine here: Henyard using township funds to start a cancer foundation that is currently under investigation by the Illinois attorney general; the village trustee, indicted for allegedly hiding income and assets in a bankruptcy case, who was paid as a Henyard Township councilor and by other villages besides Dolton; Henyard's “boyfriend” who is paid “over $100,000” by the city, according to divorce records.

That's not all, but the point about Venn diagrams or flowcharts is clear.

Federal investigations can take months or even years. We hope that's not the case for Dolton. An investigation into all allegations against Henyard and others must be thorough, fair and as expeditious as possible.

Send letters to [email protected]

Learn more about the Sun-Times Editorial Board at chicago.suntimes.com/about/editorial-board