DEARBORN — In a stunning development, the American Arab Chamber of Commerce fired Executive Director Bilal Hammoud amid allegations that more than $1 million from a government grant intended for the organization was diverted.

As the Michigan Attorney General’s Office investigates the matter in coordination with the FBI, questions are mounting about oversight and transparency at the chamber. Its former executive director, Fay Beydoun, is separately facing 16 felony charges over the alleged fraudulent administration of another state grant worth $20 million.

No criminal charges have been filed against Hammoud, and the allegations remain under investigation.

The chamber, founded in 1992, announced on Friday, August 21, that it had terminated Hammoud, 30, after discovering that funds intended for the organization could not be accounted for.

The chamber said it immediately secured its accounts to prevent additional losses and retained Warner Norcross + Judd to conduct an independent investigation. Its initial statement did not identify the amount of missing money or disclose when the suspected transactions occurred.

The Arab American News Publisher Osama Siblani said the news has rattled the Metro Detroit Arab American community.

“We’re shocked,” Siblani said. “The community is in total shock. I received many text messages and calls, and people do not understand what’s going on with the chamber.”

Sources familiar with the matter told the Detroit News that officials at the Dearborn-based chamber were investigating whether Hammoud redirected approximately $1.1 million from a $3.4 million government grant awarded to the organization in 2023.

The alleged diversion reportedly occurred through Michigan’s online payment system. Sources said the grant money, administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), was supposed to be deposited into a chamber-controlled bank account, but the payment information was allegedly changed to route the money to an account controlled by Hammoud.

The sources described growing turmoil inside the chamber, noting that former Executive Director Fay Beydoun is already facing charges involving the alleged misuse of public funds. They also pointed to the chamber’s appointment of Saif Alsenad as deputy executive director despite his federal conviction for lying to FBI agents during an Inkster public corruption investigation.

Allegations against Hammoud

Chamber Chairman Ahmad Chebbani met Tuesday with investigators from the Michigan Attorney General’s Office and later with FBI investigators, according to published reports.

Although Hammoud has not been formally charged, the chamber said in an August 25 statement that Chebbani became concerned about delays in the distribution of MEDC grant funds. He then asked Alsenad to contact state officials and seek an immediate explanation.

The chamber said its preliminary review indicated that Hammoud had acted alone and that it immediately introduced safeguards to protect its partners.

“The moment we realized there was an issue, we acted to protect this institution and the people who rely on it,” Chebbani said.

The moment we realized there was an issue, we acted to protect this institution and the people who rely on it. — Ahmad Chebbani, chairman of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce

Chebbani said he met with Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel as part of the chamber’s commitment to “full cooperation and accountability to everyone who places their trust in this chamber.”

Hammoud is a relatively well-known figure in Michigan politics and civic affairs. Gov. Whitmer first appointed him to the Michigan Workforce Development Board in 2024 and reappointed him in 2025 to a term scheduled to expire in May 2029.

He previously served as public engagement director at the Michigan Department of State and as a project manager for the city of Cheboygan.

At the time of his reappointment, Hammoud served on several boards, including the Wayne State University Alumni Board, the United Humanitarian Foundation and the Dearborn Heights Libraries Board.

He ran for the State House of Representatives in 2022 but lost the Democratic primary for the 15th District to State Rep. Erin Byrnes.

Missing funds

About a week before Hammoud’s dismissal, Chebbani reportedly questioned him about money intended for Tejara, the chamber’s business incubator and innovation hub. After failing to receive a clear explanation, chamber officials contacted MEDC CEO Quentin Messer Jr.

Officials then learned that approximately $211,000 intended for the chamber had allegedly been redirected during the previous year, followed by another $850,000 in early 2026.

MEDC spokesperson Danielle Emerson said the agency froze all additional payments connected to the Tejara grant on August 21, immediately after learning of the allegations, and began collecting the relevant facts.

She said the MEDC opened communication with the Attorney General’s Office on August 24 “to coordinate regarding any potential investigation.”

The MEDC said it had authorized the grant payments through Michigan’s SIGMA financial system to a bank account designated by the grant recipient.

In a statement issued through his attorney, Raymond Kassar, Hammoud acknowledged the seriousness of the matter but did not directly address the specific allegations.

“I understand the seriousness of the concerns that have been raised, and I am sorry for the pain and uncertainty this has caused my community and my family,” Hammoud said.

He added that he was working “with the organizations and relevant parties to address these concerns responsibly and to help make things right.”

“I care deeply about Tejara, the American Arab Chamber of Commerce, the individuals they serve and the broader community I have been proud to serve for many years,” said Hammoud, who also served as Tejara’s CEO.

Tejara describes itself as an innovation and entrepreneurship hub dedicated to helping underserved and immigrant entrepreneurs develop successful companies. It also works with major corporations, university programs, corporate innovation teams and civic organizations to build a stronger and more inclusive pipeline of high-growth businesses.

Through Tejara, the chamber received a $3.4 million award under the MEDC’s Small Business Support Hub program in 2023.

The grant was awarded about nine months after Gov. Whitmer’s chief of staff reportedly visited the chamber after news that a separate $20 million grant sought for the chamber would instead go to Global Link International, the nonprofit created and controlled by Fay Beydoun.

In May, the Michigan Attorney General’s Office charged Beydoun with 16 felonies related to the alleged theft and fraudulent administration of that grant.

The charges include one count of conducting a criminal enterprise, seven counts of uttering and publishing, one count of forgery and seven counts of larceny by conversion.

Prosecutors allege that Beydoun used grant money for personal expenses and enrichment, repeatedly submitted false information to the MEDC and maintained an annual salary of $550,000 even though Global Link International allegedly failed to relocate any businesses to Michigan.

Beydoun has pleaded not guilty, and the case remains pending. She is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

A series of controversies, community questions oversight at the organization

The developing Hammoud investigation is the second major financial controversy in recent years involving an executive leader associated with the American Arab Chamber of Commerce. The two cases have raised serious questions about the chamber’s internal oversight and the MEDC’s ability to safeguard millions of dollars in taxpayer-funded economic development grants.

Siblani told WXYZ-TV channel 7 in an interview that the latest allegations raise broader questions about oversight within the organization.

“I think that we really need accountability,” he said. “This is the second time that happens in a different way, but somehow the same way. Funds missing or funds misappropriated.

We’re shocked. The community is in total shock. I received many text messages and calls, and people do not understand what’s going on with the chamber. — Osama Siblani, publisher of The Arab American News

“If this happened for a long time, why was it not discovered? So there is a lack of accountability or even responsibilities in the chamber,” he added.

Approximately three months ago, Beydoun was charged with allegedly stealing and misusing funds from the $20 million state grant awarded to Global Link International.

In connection with the Beydoun investigation, Nessel called for suspending state funding for the MEDC until stronger oversight safeguards were implemented.

“Each day we learn new things about this agency that lead me to believe that until there’s better oversight, perhaps they shouldn’t be receiving any state funds at all,” Nessel said in a televised interview.

Questions about the chamber’s judgment have also extended to its appointment of Alsenad as deputy executive director.

Alsenad pleaded guilty in federal court to making a false statement to FBI agents investigating a bribery scheme involving former Inkster Mayor Patrick Wimberly.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Alsenad served as Wimberly’s executive assistant from May 2021 through June 2023. During an October 2024 interview, Alsenad falsely told FBI agents that he was unaware Wimberly had agreed to accept $100,000 in cash bribes in exchange for helping an investor acquire a vacant, city-owned property.

Alsenad was sentenced on February 26 to 18 months of probation. Wimberly was previously sentenced to two years in federal prison after pleading guilty to agreeing to accept the bribes.

Chebbani and Hammoud submitted a letter to the federal court in support of Alsenad following his conviction, describing him as “an advocate for marginalized voices and a champion for justice, inclusion and equal opportunity for all.”

The chamber promoted Alsenad to deputy executive director in April, while he remained under federal supervision.

In its August 25 statement, the chamber emphasized that Alsenad had no role in obtaining or administering the MEDC grant at the center of the Hammoud investigation.