Hamtramck's City Clerk Sues Mayor and Council Over Alleged Retaliation for Reporting Election Fraud
The city clerk of Hamtramck, Rana Faraj, has filed a lawsuit against the mayor, six council members, and the city manager, accusing them of retaliating against her for reporting irregularities in the 2025 election cycle. The complaint alleges that Faraj was "unlawfully retaliated against and constructively discharged" after she notified state officials about ballot harvesting, voter intimidation, and residency fraud.
Faraj had reported these irregularities to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on March 12, before criminal charges were filed against two men, including a sitting council member, for alleged absentee-ballot crimes. Her complaint to the state came before she testified against the council member in court, and several other witnesses scheduled to testify had their windows broken out the night before the exam.
The lawsuit argues that Faraj spent months documenting suspicious activity, including surveillance footage showing individuals depositing large bundles of absentee ballots into drop boxes and returning on multiple days. It also alleges that she collected evidence that at least two candidates did not live in Hamtramck but remained on the ballot anyway.
Instead of addressing the alleged misconduct, city leaders allegedly kept an eye on Faraj, monitored her arrival and departure times, and openly discussed trying to find something to hold against her after they learned she had contacted the Attorney General's Office. One council member even told her that colleagues believed she had "authored the AG letter," according to the lawsuit.
The discovery of 37 valid absentee ballots that were never counted in a mayoral race decided by fewer than a dozen votes is also at the center of the lawsuit. Faraj claims that city officials broke the chain of custody, allowing five non-election staff to enter her office after hours and access the ballots, which could no longer be counted under state law.
Faraj was placed on paid administrative leave and publicly accused of "election meddling" and "election interference." She says the accusations were false and part of a coordinated effort to blame her for issues she had repeatedly warned about. The lawsuit alleges that leaks from city officials led to misleading media reports that portrayed Faraj as under investigation, despite the city telling her the leave was not disciplinary.
Attorney Jonathan Marko described Faraj's situation as "not the first time city leadership has gone after someone for speaking up, and at some point it stops being a mistake and starts being a pattern." The lawsuit is intended to hold officials accountable for retaliating against a whistleblower and making clear that enforcing Michigan election law will have serious consequences.
As Hamtramck faces increasing legal scrutiny and investigations, Faraj's lawsuit comes as a warning to the city: failing to protect its employees from retaliation for reporting wrongdoing can lead to severe consequences.
The city clerk of Hamtramck, Rana Faraj, has filed a lawsuit against the mayor, six council members, and the city manager, accusing them of retaliating against her for reporting irregularities in the 2025 election cycle. The complaint alleges that Faraj was "unlawfully retaliated against and constructively discharged" after she notified state officials about ballot harvesting, voter intimidation, and residency fraud.
Faraj had reported these irregularities to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on March 12, before criminal charges were filed against two men, including a sitting council member, for alleged absentee-ballot crimes. Her complaint to the state came before she testified against the council member in court, and several other witnesses scheduled to testify had their windows broken out the night before the exam.
The lawsuit argues that Faraj spent months documenting suspicious activity, including surveillance footage showing individuals depositing large bundles of absentee ballots into drop boxes and returning on multiple days. It also alleges that she collected evidence that at least two candidates did not live in Hamtramck but remained on the ballot anyway.
Instead of addressing the alleged misconduct, city leaders allegedly kept an eye on Faraj, monitored her arrival and departure times, and openly discussed trying to find something to hold against her after they learned she had contacted the Attorney General's Office. One council member even told her that colleagues believed she had "authored the AG letter," according to the lawsuit.
The discovery of 37 valid absentee ballots that were never counted in a mayoral race decided by fewer than a dozen votes is also at the center of the lawsuit. Faraj claims that city officials broke the chain of custody, allowing five non-election staff to enter her office after hours and access the ballots, which could no longer be counted under state law.
Faraj was placed on paid administrative leave and publicly accused of "election meddling" and "election interference." She says the accusations were false and part of a coordinated effort to blame her for issues she had repeatedly warned about. The lawsuit alleges that leaks from city officials led to misleading media reports that portrayed Faraj as under investigation, despite the city telling her the leave was not disciplinary.
Attorney Jonathan Marko described Faraj's situation as "not the first time city leadership has gone after someone for speaking up, and at some point it stops being a mistake and starts being a pattern." The lawsuit is intended to hold officials accountable for retaliating against a whistleblower and making clear that enforcing Michigan election law will have serious consequences.
As Hamtramck faces increasing legal scrutiny and investigations, Faraj's lawsuit comes as a warning to the city: failing to protect its employees from retaliation for reporting wrongdoing can lead to severe consequences.
this is so messed up i mean who tries to silence someone just because they wanna do whats right? it sounds like hamtramck has some serious issues with accountability and thats not even mentioning the whole election fraud thing which is literally a big deal 
what makes me sad is that rana faraj was just trying to do her job but she got vilified instead of being thanked for helping catch some real problems. its so unfair when people who speak out get retaliated against, it should be the opposite – protection and support 
! The fact that the mayor and council members are trying to silence Rana Faraj just because she reported some shady stuff in the election is absolute BS. I mean, what's next? They're gonna try to cover it up like they did in those other elections? 
The city should be supporting Faraj for speaking up, not trying to ruin her career.
Can you believe this? Another whistleblower being silenced by those in power! Rana Faraj was just trying to do her job and report some serious voter fraud, and what does she get? A paid leave and a bunch of dirty tricks from the mayor and council members 
. It's like they're trying to cover their own tracks instead of taking responsibility for the alleged misconduct. And now she's having to go all the way to court to prove that she wasn't in the wrong 
. Meanwhile, the city is just going through the motions, denying any wrongdoing and trying to spin Faraj's reports as some kind of "election meddling". Give me a break! The fact that they felt the need to retaliate against her so strongly says it all – this isn't about protecting the public interest, it's about protecting their own skins 
.
her story sounds so true, like they're trying to silence her for speaking up 
about election fraud & corruption. I mean, who tries to intimidate a city clerk over reporting irregularities? 
The fact that they kept an eye on Faraj's arrival & departure times & made sure to break the chain of custody with those non-election staff is just crazy 
. I'm all for holding officials accountable tho 
gotta keep them in check. This lawsuit better be a warning to the city that they can't just get away with this kinda stuff