Hamtramck clerk who reported fraud, uncounted ballots has been fired

The Hamtramck city clerk who reported election fraud in the 2023 City Council election and in whose office unopened ballots for last year's close mayoral election were found has been fired, city officials confirmed.

Former City Clerk Rana Faraj had been on paid administrative leave since Nov. 10, according to a lawsuit she filed against the city in early December. Mayor Adam Alharbi said Faraj's employment had been "on hold for legal reasons because of her lawsuit," and that insurance attorneys recently told city officials they could proceed with dismissing her.

The move came about four months after Faraj was placed on leave when uncounted ballots that could have swayed the 2025 mayoral election were found in her office. Faraj and city officials have not explained how uncounted ballots wound up in the Clerk's Office.

She was fired "due to misconduct, bad behavior, election interference, and lack (of) understanding," said council member Nayeem Choudhury, who was elected in November and was one of six suspects investigated by Attorney General Dana Nessel's office over election fraud allegations but was not charged by a special prosecutor.



https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2026/03/09/hamtramck-clerk-who-reported-fraud-uncounted-ballots-has-been-fired/89070080007/