Hamtramck City Clerk Rana Faraj has filed a lawsuit against Mayor Amer Ghalib, six council members, and the city manager, alleging that she was subjected to retaliation after reporting irregularities during the 2025 election cycle.
Faraj claims that she had spent months documenting suspicious activity, including surveillance footage showing individuals depositing large bundles of absentee ballots into drop boxes and returning on multiple days. She also alleges that at least two candidates did not live in Hamtramck but remained on the ballot anyway.
According to the lawsuit, Faraj notified state and county officials of the irregularities on March 12, which was before criminal charges were filed against two men, including a sitting council member, for alleged absentee-ballot crimes. However, instead of addressing the alleged misconduct, city leaders allegedly kept an eye on her, monitored her arrival and departure times, and openly discussed trying to find something to hold against her.
The lawsuit also centers on the discovery of 37 valid absentee ballots that were never counted in a mayoral race decided by fewer than a dozen votes. Faraj had reported this discrepancy to Wayne County officials, who later found the ballots in question during routine records work. However, city staff had allegedly already broken the chain of custody, allowing five non-election staff members to enter the clerk's office and take possession of the ballots.
Faraj was subsequently placed on paid administrative leave and publicly accused of election meddling and election interference. The lawsuit alleges that this was part of a coordinated effort to blame her for issues she had repeatedly warned about.
The complaint calls Faraj's leave a "constructive discharge," arguing that the city stripped her of the ability to perform her elected duties while pushing a false version of events. Her attorney, Jonathan Marko, stated that Faraj did what every city clerk is supposed to do - follow the law and tell the truth - but Hamtramck tried to run her out of her job for it.
The lawsuit seeks reinstatement, damages, and court orders requiring the city to stop retaliating against Faraj and correct the public record. This comes as Hamtramck faces increasing legal scrutiny and multiple investigations, including a federal probe into alleged absentee-ballot fraud.
Faraj claims that she had spent months documenting suspicious activity, including surveillance footage showing individuals depositing large bundles of absentee ballots into drop boxes and returning on multiple days. She also alleges that at least two candidates did not live in Hamtramck but remained on the ballot anyway.
According to the lawsuit, Faraj notified state and county officials of the irregularities on March 12, which was before criminal charges were filed against two men, including a sitting council member, for alleged absentee-ballot crimes. However, instead of addressing the alleged misconduct, city leaders allegedly kept an eye on her, monitored her arrival and departure times, and openly discussed trying to find something to hold against her.
The lawsuit also centers on the discovery of 37 valid absentee ballots that were never counted in a mayoral race decided by fewer than a dozen votes. Faraj had reported this discrepancy to Wayne County officials, who later found the ballots in question during routine records work. However, city staff had allegedly already broken the chain of custody, allowing five non-election staff members to enter the clerk's office and take possession of the ballots.
Faraj was subsequently placed on paid administrative leave and publicly accused of election meddling and election interference. The lawsuit alleges that this was part of a coordinated effort to blame her for issues she had repeatedly warned about.
The complaint calls Faraj's leave a "constructive discharge," arguing that the city stripped her of the ability to perform her elected duties while pushing a false version of events. Her attorney, Jonathan Marko, stated that Faraj did what every city clerk is supposed to do - follow the law and tell the truth - but Hamtramck tried to run her out of her job for it.
The lawsuit seeks reinstatement, damages, and court orders requiring the city to stop retaliating against Faraj and correct the public record. This comes as Hamtramck faces increasing legal scrutiny and multiple investigations, including a federal probe into alleged absentee-ballot fraud.
I mean, think about it - if you're doing your job right, you might uncover some shady stuff and expose the corruption. But instead of addressing the real issues, they just try to silence you and make you look bad. I've seen it happen before, and it's always the same story: "Oh, we didn't do anything wrong" when in fact, you did. And now Faraj is paying the price for speaking up? That's just not right... 
It's like they're trying to set a precedent where anyone who tries to hold elected officials accountable gets punished instead of praised. This lawsuit could be a game-changer, though - if it succeeds, it'll show that you can't just get away with stuff because you have power and influence. 
. I mean, Faraj was just doing her job and trying to make sure the election process is legit. She's literally risking her career for transparency, which is amazing. The fact that city leaders are retaliating against her is messed up 
. And now, with all these investigations happening, it's clear that something fishy went down during the election cycle. I'm guessing Faraj's lawsuit won't be easy to dismiss 
. It's time for those in power to step up and take responsibility for their actions 
.
this is so messed up fam. like, a person just doing their job, reporting some stuff they found out, and suddenly they're getting all kinds of heat from the city? that's not right. it's like they were expecting Faraj to just look the other way because she was in a position of power. newsflash: accountability is key. and if someone finds something fishy, they gotta report it. this whole thing just feels like a big cover-up. 
Rana Faraj is literally doing her job, following the law and reporting irregularities, but instead of being praised for it, she's being retaliated against 
. its like they're more worried about covering their own backsides than about making sure elections are fair and transparent 
. and now they're trying to cover up the whole thing by saying she was "election meddling" or some nonsense 
. newsflash hamtramck: just because you try to silence someone doesnt mean you get away with it 
. Faraj deserves her day in court and a chance to clear her name 
. I'm sure the city is just trying to protect itself from some serious election tampering charges... and if Faraj was really doing her job, shouldn't she be on the front lines of that investigation instead of hiding behind a lawsuit? The whole thing seems like a big overreaction to me 
. It's like, if you're gonna do something wrong, own up to it and don't try to make someone else take the fall for you. But noooo, instead Hamtramck's all like "we're above reproach" 
.
[Image of a person getting "exited" from an office with a big red "X"] 
[GIF of a person being chased away by a "broom" emoji] 
... is she trying to cover her own behind or something?
.
. The people of Hamtramck deserve to know what really went on during that election cycle 
. And let's be real, this just adds fuel to the fire 
for those investigating alleged absentee-ballot fraud 
.
. We need more people like Rana Faraj who are willing to speak up and do what's right, even if it means going against the status quo 
now she's paying the price... hopefully, justice will be served 