Now Comes AUSA Abed Hammoud: Is his commenting on the pending ADC Re-Investigation Ethical Given his Boss’s Comments on the Issue?

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Rashida Tlaib

Abed Hammoud


Rana Abbas






In the Arab American News, Assistant US attorney Abed Hammoud wrote an opinion column on the Imad Hamad accusations.


Didn’t his boss, US attorney Barbara McQuade, also receive the same Rashida Tlaib open letter as ADC did asking her to look into this matter?


Why is Assistant US attorney Abed Hammoud  getting involved in this matter?

Even if technically he wrote it in his personal capacity- it does not look right. 

Didn’t his boss say that she is waiting to for ADC’s investigation to finish in order to see what she would do?

Why is her subordinate AUSA Abed Hammoud going public on this matter when his boss said that she might look into it?

Also-

Hammoud writes: “The ADC has finally agreed to the gravity of the situation and decided to perform a thorough investigation, which is a good step in the right direction.”

How does Hammoud know or not know what ADC did?

Where did this “finally” come from?

How did he know what the women making the allegations did or did not do to have ADC investigate?



I interviewed the former President of ADC the Honorable Mary Rose Oakar and this is what she said:


“It is not true that these allegations were made several years ago, and that ADC did not take them seriously--absolutely not!  As a matter of fact, these allegations were considered thoroughly by our Office Manager, and the Head of the legal Department and me.  In addition, I hired an outside attorney to look into the allegations and any material we had. We flew to Dearborn from D.C. and questioned Imad.  After a thorough investigation, our outside expert attorney instructed us on the law.  This lawyer was a specialist in women’s issues and specifically sexual harassment; she had been head of the criminal division for a U.S. attorney’s office, and instructed us as to what was appropriate. We did take strong action based on her advice and our discussions.  Rana Abbas worked for ADC before I became President and during part of my tenure as President.”

Hon. Oakar added:

"Rana  told me of a verbal incident only, and wanted to remain anonymous shortly before she left ADC for another job.  She never signed an affidavit ever."



This is the link to AUSA Hammoud’s column.

 http://www.arabamericannews.com/news/index.php?mod=article&cat=OtherOpinions&article=6914

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