Hamtramck City Hall (Deadline Detroit photo)
An election fraud probe is focusing on four of the six Hamtramck City Councilmen and a former council member, The Detroit News reports.
The publication states that investigators are looking into allegations that the politicians conspired to obtain illegal access to absentee ballots. A petition filed last month by Attorney General Dana Nessel's office sought the appointment of a special prosecutor.
The News reports:
In total, six people were investigated by the Attorney General's Office before the office requested a special prosecutor take over the case: council members Mohammed Hassan, Muhtasin Sadman, Mohammed Alsomiri and Abu Musa; former council member Nayeem Choudhury, who lost reelection in 2023; and Tyrone Slappey. It was not immediately clear what connection, if any, there is between Slappey and the Hamtramck city government.
The March 10 petition for a special prosecutor said all six suspects are alleged to have "conspired to receive unvoted absentee ballots that had been signed by recently naturalized citizens, and to then fill in the candidates of their choosing."
"In some instances, it is alleged that they paid for votes, as well as had citizens claim addresses they did not live at, in order to gain an advantage in local elections," according to the petition signed by Assistant Attorney General and Criminal Bureau chief Danielle Hagaman-Clark.
Sadman and Choudhury denied wrongdoing, according to The News. Others did not respond. The News reported that it was unable to find a contact number for Slappey.
