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| Gov. Whitmer with MEDC CEO Quentin Messer |
The $20 million grant given to Whitmer's close friend Fay Beydoun has come under severe scrutiny in recent weeks---arguably the biggest scandal Whitmer has faced in the nearly 7 years she has been Governor...
The search warrant served on MEDC “expressly mentions seizure” of Messer’s mobile devices, the filing noted.
Messer's attorney, Mark Chutkow, said his client “is cooperating” with the AG's investigation.
“The Attorney General's Office is best situated to comment on its internal deliberative process, not Mr. Messer,” Chutkow said. “His position regarding the investigation is set forth in his recent court filings.”
Messer wants the court to quash a subpoena for his cell phones, arguing communications on the device are protected from disclosure under the attorney-client privilege.
Danielle Emerson, public relations manager for the MEDC, said the AG’s office has “definitively and consistently over the past weeks, including in court filings that MEDC is not a target.”
Emerson said MEDC has cooperated with the Global Link investigation “for well over a year and will continue to do so.” She also noted that the grant was appropriated by the Legislature, who put the amount, recipient and disbursement schedule into the legislative boilerplate.
“MEDC strives to administer these pass-through grants in such a way that we can appropriately balance clear legislative intent with stewardship of tax dollars,” Emerson said. “MEDC demanded the return of the funds in the termination letter on March 18. Those funds have not been returned, despite a promise to do so.”
Messer is on a trade mission with Whitmer in Japan and Singapore.
A hearing has been set for Oct. 8.
The filing indicates that the AG’s office is “investigating possible wrongdoing by officials within the . . . MEDC in the use of state grants for specific projects, seeking to determine whether some of these funds were diverted for personal purchases.”
However, the filing does not say what Messer or Hundt allegedly did.
The AG’s office executed search warrants at the MEDC’s downtown Lansing headquarters, but the reason wasn’t revealed until court filings showed it was related to an investigation of Global Link International and chief executive officer Fay Beydoun’s use of a $20 million state-issued grant.
The search warrant became necessary after “it became clear that reporters” were given “far more information and documents” that MEDC provided to the AG, according to the filing.
“This stonewalling - and the pending House subpoena, which would inevitably result in reorganization of the files – led to the search warrant at issue here,” the filing noted.
Payok’s filing notes that investigators removed five boxes of documents from the MEDC – three of which were marked privileged, which the AG’s office has not searched. Those documents, he noted, were sealed and delivered to the taint team.
In response to the search warrant, the MEDC brought the court action, seeking to recover documents and a laptop seized during that search, as well as any documents that fall under the attorney-client privilege.
Oakland County District Court Judge James Grady ruled Attorney General Dana Nessel's office could use a taint team – a group of independent attorneys – to sift through the items seized to determine what, if anything, falls under the heading of attorney-client privilege.
The MEDC appealed that decision.
Prior court filings also indicate that the probe includes Beydoun’s communications with members of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's inner circle."
The following originally appeared in MIRS:
"In a Tuesday court filing, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Payok notes that the AG’s office told the MEDC on June 23 that CEO Quentin Messer Jr. was a “potential target” and that executive team member Josh Hundt is a “possible” target.
“Throughout its brief, MEDC repeatedly claims that this search did not involve a ‘target’ of the investigation,” the filing reads. “This is a misunderstanding of this investigation. MEDC as an organization is not a target, nor are any MEDC employees who are not executive decisionmakers.
“… The Attorney General informed MEDC that Messer was a potential target, as well as possibly Josh Hundt, on June 23, 2025,” the filing noted.
"In a Tuesday court filing, Assistant Attorney General Matthew Payok notes that the AG’s office told the MEDC on June 23 that CEO Quentin Messer Jr. was a “potential target” and that executive team member Josh Hundt is a “possible” target.
“Throughout its brief, MEDC repeatedly claims that this search did not involve a ‘target’ of the investigation,” the filing reads. “This is a misunderstanding of this investigation. MEDC as an organization is not a target, nor are any MEDC employees who are not executive decisionmakers.
“… The Attorney General informed MEDC that Messer was a potential target, as well as possibly Josh Hundt, on June 23, 2025,” the filing noted.
The search warrant served on MEDC “expressly mentions seizure” of Messer’s mobile devices, the filing noted.
Messer's attorney, Mark Chutkow, said his client “is cooperating” with the AG's investigation.
“The Attorney General's Office is best situated to comment on its internal deliberative process, not Mr. Messer,” Chutkow said. “His position regarding the investigation is set forth in his recent court filings.”
Messer wants the court to quash a subpoena for his cell phones, arguing communications on the device are protected from disclosure under the attorney-client privilege.
Danielle Emerson, public relations manager for the MEDC, said the AG’s office has “definitively and consistently over the past weeks, including in court filings that MEDC is not a target.”
Emerson said MEDC has cooperated with the Global Link investigation “for well over a year and will continue to do so.” She also noted that the grant was appropriated by the Legislature, who put the amount, recipient and disbursement schedule into the legislative boilerplate.
“MEDC strives to administer these pass-through grants in such a way that we can appropriately balance clear legislative intent with stewardship of tax dollars,” Emerson said. “MEDC demanded the return of the funds in the termination letter on March 18. Those funds have not been returned, despite a promise to do so.”
Messer is on a trade mission with Whitmer in Japan and Singapore.
A hearing has been set for Oct. 8.
The filing indicates that the AG’s office is “investigating possible wrongdoing by officials within the . . . MEDC in the use of state grants for specific projects, seeking to determine whether some of these funds were diverted for personal purchases.”
However, the filing does not say what Messer or Hundt allegedly did.
The AG’s office executed search warrants at the MEDC’s downtown Lansing headquarters, but the reason wasn’t revealed until court filings showed it was related to an investigation of Global Link International and chief executive officer Fay Beydoun’s use of a $20 million state-issued grant.
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| Whitmer hugs Fay Beydoun |
The search warrant became necessary after “it became clear that reporters” were given “far more information and documents” that MEDC provided to the AG, according to the filing.
“This stonewalling - and the pending House subpoena, which would inevitably result in reorganization of the files – led to the search warrant at issue here,” the filing noted.
Payok’s filing notes that investigators removed five boxes of documents from the MEDC – three of which were marked privileged, which the AG’s office has not searched. Those documents, he noted, were sealed and delivered to the taint team.
In response to the search warrant, the MEDC brought the court action, seeking to recover documents and a laptop seized during that search, as well as any documents that fall under the attorney-client privilege.
Oakland County District Court Judge James Grady ruled Attorney General Dana Nessel's office could use a taint team – a group of independent attorneys – to sift through the items seized to determine what, if anything, falls under the heading of attorney-client privilege.
The MEDC appealed that decision.
Prior court filings also indicate that the probe includes Beydoun’s communications with members of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's inner circle."
Having Nessel investigate Whitmer and her cronies, is a joke. The Feds should be investigating this fraudulent waste of Michigan taxpayer money. None of these people are credible.
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