Mohammed Hassan (left),Muhtasin Sadman
Two Hamtramck city councilmen were charged Monday with election fraud and ballot harvesting in the 2023 council race, The Hamtramck Review reports.
The Review reports that the Councilmen Mohammed Hassan, 57, and Muhtasin Sadman, 26, were under investigation for allegedly conspiring to get unvoted absentee ballots signed by naturalized citizens, and then filling in the candidates of their choice.
In some instances, they are accused of paying for votes, and having citizens claim addresses they did not live at.
According to The Hamtramck Review, Councilman Hassan faces three felony charges:
- Forging a signature on an absentee ballot application
- Election law forgery
- Making a false statement in an application for an absentee ballot
Councilmember Muhtasin Sadman, 26, who is in his first term, faces the following charges:
- Forging a signature on an absentee ballot application
- Election law forgery
- Unqualified elector attempting to vote (two counts)
- Making a false statement in an application for an absentee ballot
Councilman Sadman told Charles Sercombe of The Review: “The charges are made up to make the Bangladesh and Muslim communities look bad.” The Review could not reach Councilman Hassan for comment, though in the past he has denied the allegations.
The charges were filed by the Monroe County Prosecutor's Office after the Attorney General’s Office asked for a special prosecutor to investigate the case. The Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan selected the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office.
