El-Sayed Launches Senate Bid, Then Hired by Wayne County
Michigan Senate candidate Abdulrahman El-Sayed secures county consulting deal days after campaign launch.
2 min read
Abdulrahman Mohamed El-Sayed officially launched his U.S. Senate campaign on April 17, 2025, promising Michigan voters a government that works for ordinary people. Six days later, Wayne County approved a consulting agreement with his company, worth as much as $72,000.
Consulting Contract Details
The contract paid AME Higher LLC $9,000 a month for 30 hours of work, roughly $300 per hour. The stated purpose was to provide strategic assistance during a leadership transition and help align operational priorities in the county department El-Sayed had recently led.
The contract, which extended through the end of the calendar year, stipulated that El-Sayed would be paid at a monthly rate of $9,000 for 30 hours of work—which amounts to around $300 per hour. Wayne County is run by county executive Warren Evans, a Democrat.
Campaign and Ethics Concerns
Under the agreement, El-Sayed was approved to receive up to $72,000 for eight months of consulting work, in which he would “provide strategic support to the County in efforts to ensure smooth and effective leadership transition and aligning operational priorities with the County’s broader vision for public health and human services.” The payments were routed through “AME Higher LLC,” an entity created by El-Sayed as a pass-through for his consulting and speaking fees, according to the contract.
El-Sayed’s campaign confirms he entered the Senate race on April 17, 2025, presenting himself as a public servant who had rebuilt government agencies, and saying that Michigan needed leaders willing to fight concentrated wealth and make government work for everyone else.
Public Records and Scrutiny
Public records show the consulting agreement was approved on April 23, 2025, and could run through the end of that year. For eight months of potential work, El-Sayed’s company could collect as much as $72,000 from the county he had previously served as director of Health, Human and Veterans Services.
His financial disclosure also identifies Wayne County consulting income through AME Higher beginning in April 2025, providing another documented link between the county work and his private company.
No evidence in the records I’ve read showed that the contract itself violated a law or ethics rule. El-Sayed’s campaign says his work helped improve county services and make government more efficient, which is seemingly a fair defense.
Still, the timeline is difficult to ignore. A candidate launches a Senate campaign built partly around fighting powerful financial interests and making government work better for working people. Less than a week later, his former government employer approves a deal paying his private company $9,000 a month for 30 hours of consulting work.
Source: PJ Media
