FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. \u2013 An Oakland County woman is accused of using millions of dollars from a $20 million state grant for personal purchases.<\/p>\n
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced 16 felony charges against a Farmington Hills businesswoman linked to the use of a $20 million state grant meant to create a global business accelerator in Oakland County.<\/p>\n
Fay Beydoun, 62, is charged in 47th District Court with conducting a criminal enterprise, forgery, uttering and publishing, and multiple counts of larceny by conversion, according to Nessel\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
Investigators allege Beydoun created and controlled Global Link International, then repeatedly lied to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which administered the grant, about how the money was spent.<\/p>\n
Nessel said Beydoun \u201csought and received a $20 million \u2018Michigan enhancement grant\u2019 from the state Legislature\u201d and used it for \u201cpersonal expenses and her own enrichment.\u201d <\/p>\n
The attorney general criticized the way the grant was created and awarded, calling it unlike the traditional grant process and enabled by \u201cpolitical cronyism with minimal oversight.\u201d<\/p>\n
The grant was included in Public Act 166 of 2022, the state budget law for fiscal year 2023, and was intended to establish and operate a business accelerator. <\/p>\n
At the time the grant was secured, Beydoun served on the MEDC Executive Committee, the attorney general said. <\/p>\n
Nessel\u2019s office alleges that no businesses relocated to Michigan through Global Link\u2019s efforts and that Beydoun paid herself a $550,000 annual salary.<\/p>\n
Among the allegations, prosecutors say Beydoun forged an invoice from a law firm and submitted it to the MEDC, misrepresented a $40,800 lease, and submitted a French-language receipt for two handmade Tunisian rugs costing more than $6,000 while describing it as an expense tied to an investor\u2019s event abroad.<\/p>\n
The charges also allege Beydoun billed the MEDC for catering expenses of between $1,000 and $2,000 on two occasions in 2023, claiming the costs supported Global Link events or focus groups. <\/p>\n
Instead, investigators say the meals were two private dinners at Beydoun\u2019s home associated with then-Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson said Duggan had no knowledge that MEDC funds were used for the dinner.<\/p>\n
\u201cMayor Duggan attended two small dinners as a guest of Fay Beydoun, which were part of more than 100 small meet-and-greets hosted by Michiganders in homes and offices all across Michigan,\u201d Duggan\u2019s spokesperson, Andrea Bitely, said via email. \u201cHe accepted a host\u2019s invitation to small meet-and-greets. Nothing more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other alleged personal purchases charged to the grant included more than $5,000 to Royce Lighting for furniture and home decor and more than $1,400 at an Ace Hardware store for patio and gardening supplies, according to the attorney general\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
Investigators also allege Beydoun submitted false reports to prevent the MEDC from terminating the grant and to continue drawing her salary.<\/p>\n
Nessel said investigators have not found evidence that the grant led to businesses relocating to Michigan.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn fact, during our year and a half investigation, our office has conducted dozens of interviews and reviewed thousands of documents and has yet to find even a single identifiable business that, for the efforts of Global Link International, relocated to Michigan or was even presented with or considered any such proposal,\u201d Nessel said.<\/p>\n
Beydoun\u2019s attorney, Vincent Haisha, a partner at Flood Law, disputed the allegations in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the last six months, our firm has attempted to demonstrate the illogical nature of the allegations against Ms. Beydoun to the Michigan Department of Attorney General. <\/p>\n
Despite those efforts, it is evident that certain parties felt the need to further this very public spectacle in a way that is neither supported by the evidence that we have seen nor the investigative materials we possess. <\/p>\n
As always, we will save our best arguments for the courtroom and pursue every avenue available for our client,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
Fay Beydoun\u2019s attorney, Vincent Haisha<\/p>\n
The attorney general\u2019s office opened its investigation in 2024. The MEDC terminated the Global Link grant on March 18, 2025, following reports of financial irregularities, Nessel said.<\/p>\n
In September 2025, the attorney general\u2019s office froze more than $6.3 million in grant funds held in bank accounts connected to Beydoun.<\/p>\n
Nessel criticized oversight of the grant, saying, \u201cMEDC absolutely needs to have better guardrails and better policies and better protocols.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beydoun was appointed to the MEDC Executive Committee by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.<\/p>\n
Whitmer\u2019s spokesperson, Stacey LaRouche, said in a statement that anyone who misuses taxpayer dollars should be held accountable.<\/p>\n
She said Whitmer\u2019s \u201cbudget recommendation does not include these types of legislative enhancement grants because they are not a good use of taxpayer dollars. <\/p>\n
The legislature needs to continue to work to improve its appropriations process to ensure that every penny of taxpayer dollars spent is used appropriately.\u201d<\/p>\n
The MEDC said it has cooperated with the attorney general\u2019s investigation \u201cfrom the beginning\u201d and will continue to do so, but said it would have no comment on the charges.<\/p>\n
In a statement, the MEDC said it received the grant paperwork from the State Budget Office in March 2023 and made the statutorily required initial disbursement later that month. <\/p>\n
The agency said it made no additional disbursements and that by mid-2024, Beydoun was discussing a wind-down of the grant.<\/p>\n
It said conversations between lawyers continued into August 2024 before the MEDC formally terminated the grant on March 18, 2025, and demanded the return of remaining funds.<\/p>\n
In a separate statement, the MEDC said it has \u201calready implemented many changes\u201d in how it manages legislatively directed spending items, including adding an in-house compliance team review and reviewing all open items to monitor how funds are being spent \u201cin accordance with their respective statutes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beydoun was released on a $50,000 bond. A pre-exam conference is scheduled for May 20.<\/p>\n
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