A southeast Michigan businesswoman at the center of a scandal over a state budget earmark is now facing felony charges.
Michigan’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget set aside $20 million for a grant to bring international business to the state. Global Link International Accelerator, a nonprofit Fay Beydoun founded shortly after the budget passed, received that grant.
Global Link received $10 million of its grant on the front end.
The state Attorney General’s office accuses Beydoun of spending over a million dollars of that funding on personal bills, luxury items, and hosting political events. During a press conference Wednesday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Beydoun used her connections to get that grant money, tailored for her, put in the budget.
“These glass-slipper grants are a dedicated appropriation, referred to as a grant and modeled as such in law, written so specifically, so acutely, and in such granular detail as to whom may qualify to receive it that they could only possibly be awarded to one intended recipient,” Nessel said.
A state affidavit explaining the charging decision alleges Beydoun spent less than $20,000 on legitimate costs for her nonprofit. Prosecutors claim the efforts brought in no new businesses.
In all, Beydoun faces 16 felony counts, including for allegedly conducting a criminal enterprise, forging invoices, and embezzling the grant money. The most serious charge could carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
The law firm Flood Law represents Beydoun. In a written statement, attorney Vincent Haisha maintained her innocence.
“For 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. 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," Haisha said.
"As always, we will save our best arguments for the court room and pursue every avenue available for our client,” Haisha’s statement read.
The case has been a matter of public attention for years now, with the Detroit News first digging into the matter in 2023.
Beyond Beydoun’s alleged spending, the process through which she received the money has also attracted criticism.
The grant was overseen by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. And Beydoun sat on the MEDC’s board while she sought it.
Nessel told reporters the investigation is ongoing, and that MEDC director Quentin Messer Jr. is among the potential targets.
“We have so many documents that we are still going through and some of those documents pertain to MEDC, some of those documents pertain to Ms. Beydoun. But I think, at this point, it would be irresponsible for us to rule him out before we have finished completing that review,” Nessel said of Messer.
In general, Nessel said the MEDC doesn't have enough safeguards in place to ensure money is being spent responsibly.
A timeline the MEDC provided shows it began hearing from Beydoun about winding down her grant and operations in the spring of 2024. The agency eventually ended the grant officially and asked for its money back in March 2025.
Danielle Emerson is the agency’s spokesperson.
“From the beginning, MEDC has cooperated with the Attorney General’s office on their investigation and will continue to do so. At this time, MEDC will have no comment on these charges. Our priority remains implementing our Make It in Michigan economic development strategy focused on people, places and projects,” Emerson said in a written statement.
Still, Nessel argues the MEDC needs stronger oversight. She said lawmakers shouldn’t continue spending money through the agency until that happens.
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