Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed 16 felony charges against Fay Beydoun, a Detroit-area businesswoman and former appointee to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, accusing her of stealing from a $20 million state grant she secured through political connections.

The charges, announced May 6, mark the second criminal prosecution tied to a wave of no-bid earmarks that Michigan lawmakers embedded in the 2022 state budget. The case centers on Global Link International, a nonprofit business accelerator Beydoun created in 2022 to receive the funding.

The charges

According to the Attorney General's press release, Beydoun faces the following charges in the 47th District Court in Farmington Hills:

  • One count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony
  • Seven counts of Uttering and Publishing, a 14-year felony
  • One count of Forgery, a 14-year felony
  • One count of Larceny by Conversion, more than $20,000, a 10-year felony
  • Six counts of Larceny by Conversion, $1,000 to $20,000, a 5-year felony

An arraignment date has not yet been set. Beydoun is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

What prosecutors allege

The Attorney General's office alleges Beydoun used state grant money for personal expenses while repeatedly lying to the MEDC about how the funds were spent.

According to the sworn affidavit filed with the charges, Beydoun:

  • Forged an invoice from a law firm and submitted it to the MEDC, then used the funds for personal legal expenses unrelated to Global Link International
  • Presented a false description of a $40,800 lease to the MEDC
  • Submitted a French-language receipt for two handmade Tunisian rugs costing more than $6,000, telling the MEDC the money paid for an investors event abroad
  • Used grant funds for catering costs between $1,000 and $2,000 on two occasions in 2023, telling the MEDC the expenses supported Global Link events when the dinners were actually hosted at her Farmington Hills home for then-Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan
  • Spent grant money on personal purchases including more than $5,000 in furniture and home decor from Royce Lighting and more than $1,400 in patio and gardening supplies from Ace Hardware
  • Submitted materially false reports to the MEDC to prevent grant termination and continue drawing her $550,000 annual salary

"Today, we allege Fay Beydoun sought and received a $20 million 'Michigan enhancement grant' from the state Legislature, operated a criminal enterprise to use those funds for personal expenses and her own enrichment, and lied repeatedly when reporting how she used those funds," said Attorney General Nessel.

The grant's origins

Beydoun secured the Michigan enhancement grant through Public Act 166 of 2022, the state's Fiscal Year 2023 budget. The grant was intended to establish and operate a global business accelerator in Oakland County, with the MEDC administering the funds.

At the time she obtained the grant, Beydoun served on the MEDC Executive Committee. According to the Attorney General, no businesses relocated to Michigan through Global Link International's efforts.

The investigation

The Department of Attorney General opened its investigation into the Global Link International legislative grant in 2024. The MEDC terminated the state grant on March 18, 2025, following reports of financial irregularities. In September 2025, the Attorney General's office froze more than $6.3 million in grant funds held in bank accounts connected to Beydoun.

Political fallout

The Beydoun case has become a flashpoint in the 2026 Michigan gubernatorial race. State Sen. Aric Nesbitt, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, has called on the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Governor Gretchen Whitmer's role in the grant's approval.

"Whether it is a $20 million grant routed to a Whitmer ally, sweetheart lease deals for campaign donors, or corporate handouts to multinational corporations with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, the pattern is the same," Nesbitt said in a statement. "The system in Lansing has been rigged to serve the governor's friends at the expense of hardworking taxpayers, and it has to end."

The scandal has also fueled calls to dismantle the MEDC. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy published an editorial arguing the agency should be shut down, citing the Beydoun case alongside years of failed economic development programs.

Both the Beydoun case and the separate prosecution of David Coker Jr., a former legislative aide accused of embezzling more than $820,000 from a $25 million health park earmark, have led to legislative reforms. New rules now require lawmakers to publicly disclose funding requests before budget votes and prohibit grants to newly formed nonprofits.

The Attorney General's investigation into Global Link International's funding and administration remains ongoing.