State Representative Jim DeSana announced on May 6 his support for the recent indictment of Fay Beydoun, who faces 16 felony charges related to the alleged theft of $20 million in connection with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).
The announcement highlights concerns about government corruption and oversight in Michigan. DeSana said, “This is one of the most egregious examples of government corruption in Michigan history, and it’s well past time the people responsible were punished.” He added, “This scam violated the public trust, stole millions of dollars away from Michigan families, and kept a corrupt system greased and spinning. Today’s actions are finally bringing the weight of law enforcement to bear.”
DeSana described how last-minute deals inserted into state budgets contribute to a lack of transparency. “Our political process has become so broken and so focused on trading favors for personal gain, and this is the best example yet. Far too many last-minute deals get slipped secretly into the state budget, and those secret backroom agreements come out of our pockets and our paychecks. It isn’t right. And that’s why I’m fighting so hard to stop this broken process and expose these bad deals,” he said.
DeSana has previously cosponsored legislation aimed at eliminating the MEDC due to concerns over its management of taxpayer funds. He serves on the House Appropriations Committee where he has worked to increase accountability among state departments regarding spending decisions according to the official website.
“This is why we need to pass my plan to eliminate the MEDC. This quasi-official deal-making bureaucracy is now a potential target in this investigation, and the attorney general has already called them out for stonewalling investigators after her team raided their office. Nothing good comes from an entire secret department created to bribe businesses into coming to Michigan, and Fay Beydoun’s role on the MEDC and her theft of our tax dollars shows how little oversight it has,” DeSana said.
He concluded by praising law enforcement efforts: “I applaud Attorney General Nessel for investigating this alleged wrongdoing and issuing indictments on 16 criminal counts. We need law enforcement to crack down on bad actors. Together with reforms we have passed in the Legislature and that we can still pass going forward, that is how we can stop bad deals like this and protect Michigan families.”
DeSana represents parts of Monroe and Wayne counties as State Representative for District 29; he holds a background in business administration from University of Detroit Mercy as well as experience with community programs according to his official biography.
