The talk of the town: pending election charges

Hamtramck City Clerk Rana Faraj

By Charles Sercombe
The reaction in Hamtramck to the latest development in the state Attorney General’s investigation into alleged election law violations is, well, active and ongoing.
Let’s back up for a moment.
City Clerk Rana Faraj may have prompted Attorney General Dana Nessel to seek a special prosecutor to take over the case, when she recently issued a letter demanding that action be taken.
(Nessel’s request for a special prosecutor was submitted a few days before Faraj’s letter, but that request was not made public until recently.)
She questioned why an investigator was taken off the case, and why surveillance recording of suspects dumping absentee ballots into a city hall ballot box wasn’t evidence enough for filing charges, among other evidence collected.
The announcement by the AG’s Office was less than promising, in Faraj’s opinion, and she took a dim view on why Nessel is bowing out from prosecuting the case.
Nessel is recusing her office, saying that, because she has prosecuted pro-Palestinian protestors at the University of Michigan and has been critical of the all-Muslim city council and mayor for their “anti-LGBTQ policies,” she would appear to be biased in the matter.
Nessel is Jewish, and gay.
“Almost three years later, and all I’m hearing are excuses,” Faraj said.
“This issue has absolutely nothing to do with how they (Hamtramck City Council) voted regarding the flags (LGBTQ+). Everyone is entitled to their personal opinions, but as a prosecutor, she needs to set those aside and simply do her job.”
The Review reached out to Mayor Amer Ghalib for comment, but he did not respond; nor has he talked publicly about the matter.
But former Mayor Karen Majewski was willing to comment.
“It seems to be a good sign that the AG is assigning a special prosecutor to the voter fraud case, and it sounds like the right thing to do from the perspective of avoiding any suggestion of partiality,” Majewski said.
“It could also be a delaying tactic, of course, and will probably slow down the process, as we saw with special prosecutors on the national scene.”
As for Ghalib’s silence on the matter, Majewski said:
“Ghalib has a history of avoiding the press, and this is a time when I’d expect him to stay even more underground to keep his name out of any controversy while his appointment is still up in the air.”
The appointment she refers to is Ghalib’s nomination from President Trump to be ambassador to Kuwait. Ghalib must first be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
City Manager Max Garbarino also weighed in on the ongoing investigation.
“The city administration is closely monitoring these developments regarding our elected officials, and appreciates the attorney general’s attention to this matter. Our priority continues to be ensuring fair, transparent, and trustworthy elections for our community,” Garbarino said.
“We also take this opportunity to remind everyone of the sanctity of our nation’s election process, and encourage all residents to safeguard their ballot, and participate with confidence.”
Former City Councilmember Joe Strzalka, an attorney who retired from the U.S. State Department, stressed caution against rushing to judgment.
“I think now that we know it is going forward, it is best to let the justice system prevail. Based on the rumors we have heard, it doesn’t look good for the accused; (however) no one should rush to judgment until we see the evidence,” Strzalka said.
“Many of us have heard the rumors and have strong opinions, but it would not do any service to anyone to comment on innocence or guilt until they are indicted, and we see the evidence.”
If it turns out that the four current councilmembers are found guilty, he says, they should resign — if they aren’t forced to by the court.
“The question then will be, do we follow the replacement process based on the charter, or will it be argued that the state should intervene and appoint, as manipulation of the ballots had so tainted the election process that it deterred a large number of qualified people from running or making it past the primary.”
And former City Councilmember Catrina Stackpoole, who has been critical of the city council and mayor for banning the display of pride flags on public property, was more succinct in her response.
“Good riddance,” she said.
Stackpoole had served on the Human Relations Commission, along with Russ Gordon, until Mayor Ghalib removed them both for raising a pride flag on a city flagpole on Jos. Campau.
Stackpoole and Gordon have since filed a lawsuit against the city over their removal.
Posted April 11, 2025