Hamtramck, MI – A disturbing video, authenticated by Michigan State Police, allegedly shows Hamtramck City Council member Abu Musa handing bundles of absentee ballots to a driver who deposits them into a drop box on August 1, just days before Musa’s primary election victory on August 5.
The incident, has sparked outrage in Hamtramck, a Muslim-majority city in Metro Detroit where Trump narrowly won Michigan by 80,000 votes in 2024. Musa, previously investigated but not charged in a 2023 ballot forgery case involving colleagues Muhtasin Sadman and Mohammed Hassan, faces scrutiny as Attorney General Dana Nessel recused herself from the probe due to bias allegations.
The Video Evidence and Election Context
The video, first obtained by Votebeat, captures Musa in the passenger seat of a vehicle, passing what appear to be stacks of absentee ballots to the driver, who deposits three bundles into a drop box outside Hamtramck City Hall.
Michigan State Police confirmed the clip’s authenticity on August 22, as part of an investigation initially focused on council members’ residency requirements but now encompassing potential election fraud. The incident occurred four days before the August 5 primary, where Musa secured 1,129 votes—843 via absentee ballots, comprising 74.7% of his total—winning 12.5% in a 12-candidate field, per unofficial results from Wayne County.
Hamtramck City Clerk Rana Faraj told Votebeat the investigation began after noticing “unusual patterns with absentee ballots,” including identical handwriting and large bundles submitted together, violating Michigan law requiring ballots be handled only by voters or family members.
Faraj quipped, “Everyone’s cousins around here,” highlighting lax enforcement. The city, with a 70% Muslim population of 28,000, became the first in the U.S. to have an all-Muslim council in 2022, and its mayor, Amer Ghalib, endorsed Trump in 2024, earning a nomination as Ambassador to Kuwait.
Prior Forgery Scandal and Nessel’s Recusal
The video follows a 2023 election forgery case where councilmen Sadman and Hassan were charged on August 11, 2025, for allegedly forging absentee ballots by filling in votes for preferred candidates after obtaining signed, unvoted ballots from recently naturalized citizens, per a charging document from Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Musa and councilman Mohammed Alsomiri were investigated but not charged, per Local 4 News. Nessel, a Jewish lesbian who criticized Hamtramck’s 2023 Pride flag ban and faced accusations of bias against pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Michigan, recused herself from the current case on August 20, 2025, citing potential criticism over the Arab descent of five defendants.
Nessel’s recusal, appointing a special prosecutor, has drawn mixed reactions. Critics like @MichiganVoterX on X posted, “Nessel’s dodging accountability—ballot stuffing in Hamtramck needs a real investigation,” while supporters like @JusticeForMI argued, “She’s avoiding a biased label to ensure a fair probe.” The scandal has reignited concerns about election integrity in Michigan, a swing state Trump won 49.7% to Kamala Harris’s 48.3% in 2024, per Michigan’s Secretary of State.
National Tensions and Local Reverberations
The Hamtramck incident intersects with a polarized national landscape. Trump’s second term faces backlash over the Megabill’s Medicaid cuts, Tesla’s $243 million Autopilot verdict, and the collapse of Trump and Melania’s meme coins. Federal overreach, exemplified by Trump’s D.C. police federalization and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s opposition to a Chicago troop deployment, has sparked protests. The Epstein files, Ghislaine Maxwell’s DOJ interview, and Virginia Giuffre’s memoir deepen public distrust, while Trump’s health concerns fuel speculation, with Alex Jones warning of a “collapse.”
On X, liberals like @CalltoActivism posted, “Trump’s ally in Hamtramck caught stuffing ballots—ironic for MAGA’s ‘election fraud’ crowd!” MAGA users like @WallStreetApes countered, “This is a Democrat setup to smear Trump’s endorsed mayor.” The scandal has amplified calls for stricter absentee ballot oversight, with Michigan Rep. Rachelle Smit (R) proposing voter ID for drop.
The video below
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What’s Next?
The video could lead to charges against Musa, with the special prosecutor’s report due by October 2025. If substantiated, it may trigger recounts or invalidate Hamtramck’s primary results, impacting its three council seats up for election in November 2025.
The scandal risks alienating Michigan’s Arab-American voters, a key demographic in a state Trump narrowly won, with a 2024 Pew Research poll showing 55% of Michigan Muslims supported Harris.
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