DEARBORN, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The American Arab Chamber of Commerce fired its executive director Friday after discovering missing funds.

The termination of Bilal Hammoud prompted the Dearborn-based organization to hire an attorney to conduct an “independent, external investigation.” The chamber said it is cooperating with Dearborn police, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“We are taking these steps because the trust of our members, partners, and the businesses we serve is the foundation of everything we do,” Ahmad Chebbani, chairman of the chamber’s board, said in a statement. “We are committed to getting this right and to being transparent with the community we serve.”

The chamber added that its services will continue during the investigation.

MEDC funds

The funds under scrutiny reportedly include about $1 million provided by the taxpayer-funded Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The money was earmarked for the chamber’s business incubator, Tejara.

Federal tax filings show Tejara reported $1.7 million in revenue in 2023, followed by $11,192 in 2024.

Nessel has been an outspoken critic of the MEDC. In October 2025, she called it a “quasi-public-quasi private” agency that receives taxpayer funding for projects. Following news of the chamber investigation, Nessel called for abolishing the agency on social media.

Whitmer administration connection

Hammoud has ties to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration. Whitmer first appointed him to the Michigan Workforce Development Board in 2024 and reappointed him in 2025.

According to the governor’s office, Hammoud previously served as public engagement director for the Michigan Department of State and as a project manager for the City of Cheboygan.

Not the first sign of trouble

Hammoud’s termination comes nearly four years after the chamber’s previous executive director, Fay Beydoun, secured a $20 million state grant for a business accelerator.

Beydoun now faces 16 felony charges filed by Nessel’s office related to the administration and alleged misuse of the grant. Beydoun, a Democratic fundraiser and donor, was also a Whitmer appointee to the MEDC executive committee when the grant was awarded.

Prosecutors allege Beydoun used grant money for expenses that included a $4,500 coffeemaker and an $11,000 first-class ticket to Budapest.