Hamtramck city manager and officer sue mayor, city leaders over alleged corruption

CBS News

2 days ago

The Hamtramck city manager and police officer are suing Mayor Amer Ghalib, Police Chief Jamiel Altaheri and city council members for alleged corruption and violation of the Michigan Whistleblower Protection Act and Open Meetings Act.
The lawsuit, filed by Marko Law, names council members Abu Musa, Khalil Refai, Mohammed Hassan, Muhith Mahmood, Mohammed Alsomiri, and Muhtasin Sadman. It alleges that City Manager Max Garbarino and Police Officer David Adamczyk reported misconduct, such as a presidential pardon in exchange for money, suppressing election fraud investigations and improper use of police resources.
"Max Garbarino has honorably served Hamtramck for over twenty years. Instead of rewarding his integrity, the City Council betrayed him and officer David Adamczyk, punishing them for standing up against corruption and misconduct at the highest levels," said Attorney Reno Arabo in a statement. "This lawsuit will hold Hamtramck accountable and send a clear message: public servants who protect their community from wrongdoing deserve support, not retaliation," said Attorney Jonathan Marko. "I hope there is a Max and David in every city. We need people who are brave enough to stand up, expose corruption, and protect their community, even when powerful forces try to silence them."
CBS News Detroit contacted Ghalib, Altaheri and the city council members for comment and is waiting for a response.
According to the lawsuit, Adamcyzk reported the misconduct to Garbarino, who placed Altaheri on administrative leave in May 2025. A week later, Garbarino was placed on leave pending the investigation. Adamczyk was placed on leave "to protect him from further retaliation from defendants, and to safeguard the integrity of the investigation," according to the lawsuit.
Lawsuit: Police chief allegedly pushed for presidential pardon of acquaintance
The lawsuit also alleges that Adamczyk sent a memo to Michigan State Police in May 2025, alleging that Altaheri was grooming fellow officers "to shield or obscure his actions and protect sensitive information." According to the lawsuit, Adamczyk claims there were reports of domestic violence at Altaheri's home; however, the police chief advised officers not to report the disputes.
Adamcyzk also claims that Altaheri was working with an individual who was described as a "close associate of President Donald Trump" to secure a presidential pardon for an acquaintance in New York who was charged with financial crimes.
The lawsuit claims Adamcyzk accompanied Altaheri to the meeting with the associate, and there was a proposal to provide $1 million to $5 million in exchange for the pardon. The lawsuit did not name the New York acquaintance or whether they were pardoned.
The lawsuit claims Altaheri requested a fake Hamtramck police ID card for the associate as a "chief director."
CBS News Detroit contacted the White House for comment and is waiting for a response.
Council members engaged in election fraud, lawsuit claims
The lawsuit claims that the city council forced Garbarino to hire Altaheri and refused to approve any other candidate without a reason. Altaheri was named police chief after serving with the New York Police Department.
According to the lawsuit, the council allegedly pressured Garbarino to fire the city assessor after he displayed a Pride flag in his office and to fire the human resources director, with one of the council members allegedly saying there were "too many Black people" working for the city.
Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that the city clerk spotted irregularities in absentee ballots and was advised by Garabino to report the findings to Hamtramck police. The lawsuit claims that during the investigation by the Michigan Attorney General's office, council members harassed Garbarino, trying to force him to fire the clerk.
The lawsuit claims that Altaheri allegedly pushed for council members to fire Garbarino for reporting the election fraud.
Two of the council members, Musa and Mahmood, were under a microscope this year after it was reported that they did not live within city limits. The lawsuit alleges that an investigation found that the two members did not live within city limits. In an April 25 council meeting, Mahmood and Musa argued that they do have second homes in other communities, but they live in Hamtramck. That night, the city council voted against removing either member, saying there wasn't enough evidence to take action.