A city councilman in Flint, Michigan, has been bound over for trial on a felony election-law false-swearing charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Leon El-Alamin, who represents Flint’s First Ward, was bound over to Genesee County Circuit Court on Wednesday after a district court judge ruled that the case could proceed. Prosecutors accuse El-Alamin of falsely swearing that he lived in Flint when he filed paperwork to run for city council.
The ruling came during a preliminary examination in Genesee County District Court on September 9th. At that stage, the judge was tasked with deciding whether prosecutors had presented enough evidence to send the charge to circuit court, where felony cases are tried. The decision doesn’t determine El-Alamin’s guilt, but it moves the prosecution past its first major hurdle and places the councilman on course for a trial in circuit court.
El-Alamin joined the Flint City Council on March 25th, 2024, when council members appointed him to fill the First Ward seat left vacant by the death of longtime Councilman Eric Mays. Court records place the alleged offense on April 12th, 2024, fewer than three weeks after that appointment. El-Alamin later won a November 2024 special election allowing him to complete the remainder of Mays’ term.
WNEM reported that a Genesee County District Court judge bound El-Alamin over to circuit court after the preliminary examination. The station described the accusation as election fraud and said the councilman is now heading toward trial. El-Alamin was initially charged in July with one felony count of false swearing, which violates election law.
The charging language concerns allegedly making a false affidavit under oath to qualify as a candidate for elective office. When WNEM first reported the case in July, the station said prosecutors accused El-Alamin of falsely swearing that he lived in Flint when he filed to run for the city council. El-Alamin was released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond following his arraignment.
The underlying dispute is whether El-Alamin actually lived within Flint when he claimed a Flint address. The Federalist reported that Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said El-Alamin was living in neighboring Mt. Morris Township rather than inside Flint. Investigators were reportedly told by a tenant at the Flint address that El-Alamin owned the property but didn’t live there.
El-Alamin has denied wrongdoing and characterized the accusations surrounding him as a political distraction. In a statement previously provided to MLive, he said he was “confident that he will be cleared of any wrongdoing.” He added, “I have always believed in the rule of law and due process,” and said he would continue defending himself through the legal system.
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The case could have immediate political consequences for the councilman, who is running for Flint’s Third Ward in the November general election. Under the Flint city charter, a sitting council member must forfeit his seat if convicted of a felony while holding office. Michigan’s election-law false-swearing offense carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, although any sentence would be imposed only after a conviction.
For now, the case will move from district court into Genesee County Circuit Court. Prosecutors will be required to prove the felony allegation beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. WNEM’s September 9th report did not provide a trial date for the election-law case.