The American Arab Chamber of Commerce has fired its executive director, Bilal Hammoud, effective immediately, after discovering that some of the organization's funds could not be accounted for. The Dearborn-based chamber announced the termination yesterday, but has not publicly disclosed the exact amount of money involved or when the discrepancy was first discovered.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the chamber said in a release that it has secured its accounts against further losses and hired the law firm Warner Norcross + Judd to conduct an independent investigation. Chamber chairman Ahmad Chebbani said the organization is committed to transparency with the community, adding that the trust of members, partners, and served businesses is the foundation of the chamber's work. The chamber says it is cooperating with the appropriate authorities and will provide a full accounting once the investigation concludes.
While the chamber itself has not named a figure, outside reporting has filled in some of the gap. A source familiar with the matter told CBS News Detroit that the unaccounted-for funds are estimated at nearly $1 million, and that the missing money allegedly never reached the chamber's own accounts. Deadline Detroit reported that local outlet TCD Dearborn News was first to report sources placing the missing sum at close to that same amount, corroborating the scale of the shortfall even as the chamber's public statements remain silent on specifics.
Chamber Says Programs Continue Without Interruption
Despite the upheaval at the top, the chamber says its programs and services continue without interruption, and that it has oversight and safeguards designed to protect the organization and the people who rely on it. Per the chamber's release, a message left for Hammoud had not been returned as of the evening of August 21, the Free Press reported.
No criminal charges have been filed against Hammoud, and the chamber has not publicly accused him of any specific wrongdoing. That distinction matters: an internal audit and outside legal review are not the same as a law enforcement investigation, and so far only the former has been confirmed. If prosecutors were to eventually pursue embezzlement charges tied to a nonprofit, Michigan law sets a high bar for penalties — under Section 750.174 of the Michigan Penal Code, embezzlement of $100,000 or more from a nonprofit is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to three times the amount taken, according to the Michigan Legislature.
A Rising Figure in State Government and Politics
Hammoud's firing is notable in part because of how visible he had become in Michigan political circles. He was appointed executive director of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce in February 2024, according to Dearborn.org, putting him at the helm for roughly two and a half years before his termination. Before that, he served in the Michigan Department of State under Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, where Model D Media reported he became the first Arab American to work inside the department's executive office after his 2019 appointment, and where he later established the state's Language Access Task Force to expand voting access for non-English speakers.
Hammoud also held a gubernatorial appointment, having been reappointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in May 2025 to represent the business sector on the Michigan Workforce Development Board, a term set to run through May 2029. He held that seat while simultaneously serving as the chamber's director and as CEO of Tejara, a Dearborn-based small business accelerator affiliated with the chamber that offers support services to immigrant-owned businesses across four Metro Detroit counties. Hammoud additionally ran in the 2022 Democratic primary for Michigan's 15th House District, representing the Dearborn area, according to Ballotpedia.
Financial Ties Between the Chamber and Its Accelerator
Nonprofit financial filings tracked by Cause IQ show Tejara held $1.18 million in assets and made a $75,000 general support grant to the chamber in 2024, underscoring how intertwined the two organizations' finances have been under Hammoud's leadership. The American Arab Chamber of Commerce, founded in Dearborn in 1992 and co-founded by current chairman Chebbani, now represents a network of more than 1,300 member businesses across Metro Detroit and internationally, making it one of the largest Arab American business associations in the country.
The firing also lands at a delicate moment for the chamber's public reputation. Its former executive director, Fay Beydoun, was hit with 16 felony charges in May by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel over the alleged misuse of a $20 million state grant awarded to her nonprofit, Global Link International, as Bridge Michigan reported. Hoodline previously covered the political fallout in an awkward Whitmer speech tied to VIP probe, and the chamber has separately touted its role supporting Dearborn entrepreneurs through initiatives highlighted in earlier coverage of local investment competitions. For now, the chamber says it will release more information once the Warner Norcross + Judd investigation is complete, leaving the exact scope of the missing funds and the timeline of their discovery unresolved.
