Amidst rising concerns over election integrity, Hamtramck Councilman Abu Musa is now the focus of a Michigan State Police investigation following the emergence of a video that allegedly captures him transferring several absentee ballots just before the city's primary election. The footage, dated August 1, shows Musa in the passenger seat of a vehicle, handing what appears to be stacks of ballots to the driver, who is later seen depositing them into a ballot collection box. This incident occurs in the lead-up to the August 5 primary, where Musa emerged as the frontrunner among twelve candidates.
The authenticity of the recording has been confirmed by Michigan State Police, tying it to a broader inquiry into ballot handling within the city of Hamtramck. In a separate development, local news outlet WDIV alleges that Musa appears in another video, this time seated in the back of a truck at night, as the driver attempts to deposit multiple piles of absentee ballots into a drop box. The timing of these actions is critical, as they took place merely days before Musa secured his position in the primary, with a notable discrepancy between absentee and in-person votes.
Concerns regarding the city's election practices had been mounting prior to this incident. Earlier in the year, two of Musa's council colleagues were charged with ballot forgery during the 2023 races, accused of manipulating absentee ballots signed by recently naturalized citizens. Although Musa himself has not been charged, he and another council member are under investigation, according to the Daily Mail.
The unfolding scandal has led to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's withdrawal from the case over potential conflicts of interest. Nessel has been a controversial figure, previously criticized for her handling of issues related to Hamtramck's Muslim-majority council and her actions following the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel. With Arab descent defendants in the Hamtramck election case, Nessel has appointed a special prosecutor to oversee the proceedings.
Election officials, including City Clerk Rana Faraj, have already sounded the alarm over absentee voting irregularities, citing state laws that stipulate ballots should only be managed by the voter or a family member. Reports of identical handwriting on envelopes and the delivery of large groups of ballots together have raised red flags for potential fraud.
Hamtramck, a city of over 28,000 residents bordering Detroit, gained national attention for being the first U.S. city with a Muslim-majority council. The six-member council operates with staggered elections, ensuring continuous political engagement. While Musa's political affiliation has not been officially disclosed, there is widespread speculation that he is a Democrat.
Michigan remains a highly contested battleground state. In the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump narrowly clinched the state's 15 electoral votes, edging out Kamala Harris. The political clout of Hamtramck has been on the rise, with Mayor Amer Ghalib endorsing Trump in 2023, a move that led to his nomination as U.S. ambassador to Kuwait.
The recent developments involving Councilman Musa, coupled with the previous fraud charges against other council members and the absentee ballot irregularities, have cast a shadow over the integrity of local governance in Hamtramck, further stoking the flames of election security debates in a critical swing state.
