Controversial city clerk fired after found with punching bags with politicians’ faces on them

A local government clerk who was on leave over a voter-fraud scandal has now been fired after punching bags were found in her office with pictures of politicians’ faces taped to them.

Rana Faraj had been on leave from the city of Hamtramck since November when unopened ballots that could have decided the mayoral election were found in her office, according to the Detroit News.

She later sued the city, claiming she was being punished for being a whistle-blower who raised the alarm about non-election personnel being in her office.

Rana Faraj was fired this week after punching bags with candidates’ faces were found in her office. CBS News

Faraj was fired not over that but for “the discovery of partisan punching bags featuring candidates’ faces inside” her office, Mayor Adam Alharbi said Tuesday, calling it “a gross violation of the non-partisan neutrality required by law.”

One punching bag had the face of former city councilman Muhith Mahmood — the candidate who lost to Alharbi by just 11 votes, helped by the unopened ballots, according to the Michigan Advance. Another bag had an unidentified city council candidate’s face taped to it.

The mayor insisted to Votebeat that the decision to fire Faraj had nothing to do with her lawsuit but was necessary due to “a clear lack of professional neutrality in office.”

Faraj filed a lawsuit in December, claiming she was placed on leave in retaliation for previously reporting voter fraud. Her city job had been “on hold for legal reasons” due to the suit, according to the mayor, who said she was assured by attorneys she could ax the clerk.

Faraj was placed on leave after 37 uncounted ballots were discovered in her office after the Nov. 4 election. The ballots could have swung the tight race in Mahmood’s favor, but were left out of the final count even after they were found.

Faraj claims in her lawsuit against the city that five non-election personnel entered her office before the ballots were found, breaking the chain of custody.

Mayor Adam Alharbi announced Faraj’s firing. CBS News

Neither Faraj nor city officials have explained how the ballots got there, according to the Detroit News.

In December, Faraj filed a lawsuit alleging that several officials were retaliating against her for flagging “ongoing election integrity issues” going back to 2023. She had reported the allegations of ballot-harvesting, intimidation of election workers to the state attorney’s office.

Hamtramck council member Muhtasin Sadman and mayor pro tempore Mohammed Hassan were investigated for allegedly conspiring to fill out empty ballots signed by recently naturalized citizens.

Sadman pleaded guilty in February to a reduced charge of disorderly person loitering about an illegal business.

Hassan, who is charged with forgery and breaking other election laws, is set to go to trial in April, according to the Detroit News.