The Fay Beydoun MEDC Saga Continues…
Lansing, MI - What began as a $20 million “economic development” grant under Governor Gretchen Whitmer has evolved into one of the most significant state-level scandals in recent memory. With new information breaking almost every week, here is an updated timeline on the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s (MEDC) $20 million fiasco that connects Whitmer, MEDC CEO Quentin Messer, and Democrat donor Fay Beydoun.
2021-22: A Grant with No Guardrails
While serving on the MEDC executive committee, Fay Beydoun met with state officials before lawmakers approved a $20 million grant that was awarded to a nonprofit organization she created after the appropriation. Global Link International, Beydoun’s non-profit, did not exist when the funding was approved.
Beydoun, a long-time Whitmer ally and Democrat donor, previously hosted a campaign fundraiser for the governor at her personal home.
2023: Lavish Spending and Red Flags
According to public documents, Beydoun spent millions of the first grant installment on questionable items, including a $4,500 coffee maker, an $11,000 first-class ticket to Europe, and a $550,000 salary for herself. An affidavit filed with the Attorney General estimates that less than 2 percent of all Global Link International’s expenses could be tied to the grant’s purpose. Despite these purchases, the MEDC did not claw back the grant.
New reporting shows that, around this time, a whistleblower directly warned MEDC CEO Quentin Messer about Beydoun’s conduct, but those warnings were ignored. Messer dismissed the whistleblower’s concerns, calling Beydoun a “personal friend.” During the same time, several members of the MEDC board, including Beydoun, failed to file their required conflict-of-interest disclosures.
Meanwhile, The Detroit News has revealed that Gretchen Whitmer’s chief of staff personally drove to Dearborn to apologize to the Arab American Chamber of Commerce, which believed that the $20 million grant was intended for its own business accelerator, not Fay Beydoun.
2024: The Walls Start to Crumble
Attorney General Dana Nessel begins her investigation into the Fey Beydoun grant and starts requesting documents relating to how the money was spent. Despite Nessel’s investigation and the continued reports of lavish spending, The Detroit News uncovered that Whitmer’s administration told lawmakers they had no authority to stop the payments.
March-August 2025: It All Comes Crashing Down
After months of claiming that the MEDC has limited oversight once funds are disbursed, Quentin Messer finally bowed to pressure from legislators and revoked the remaining unspent money from Beydoun’s grant. In June, the Attorney General’s office raided both the MEDC headquarters and Beydoun’s personal home, seizing documents and electronic devices. Messer hired private legal counsel and attempted to block the seizure of his personal devices, while Nessel formally named him as a potential target of the investigation.
September 2025: Whitmer and Messer Abscond to Asia
In September, while being investigated by the Attorney General for his involvement in an economic development scandal, Quentin Messer joined Whitmer on an international getaway. The two-week trip, which occurred during budget negotiations, took them to Japan, Singapore, and Germany and was, reportedly, meant for “economic development.”
“In addition to a gross misuse of tax dollars for personal gain, this was a breakdown of ethics, oversight, and leadership,” said Gabe Butzke, a spokesperson for the Michigan Forward Network. “Taxpayers deserve accountability and transparency with government spending. Instead, they got backroom deals, conflicts of interest, and a $20 million scandal that happened on Gretchen Whitmer and Quentin Messer’s watch. These grants are Whitmer’s responsibility, and she must be held accountable.”
