A Flint city councilman, Leon El-Alamin, was arraigned on July 13, 2026, on one count of violating election law by committing perjury on his affidavit. El-Alamin, 45, is accused of falsely swearing under oath on his affidavit, saying that when he filed it in April he was living within the city limits, which is a qualification to run for city council.
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton spoke with local media outlet ABC 12, saying that investigators looked into the Mt. Morris Township neighborhood where residents told law enforcement authorities El-Alamin had lived for years. The police then visited the Flint address that was listed on El-Alamin’s official affidavit and discovered someone else was renting the property.
The councilman was granted a $5,000 personal recognizance bond and freed from custody. If he is found guilty of the charge against him, he could spend five years in prison or possibly a $1,000 fine. His name will also be removed from the ballot. This isn’t the councilman’s first run-in with the law. He was already scheduled to stand trial on charges of felony assault and domestic violence less than three weeks out from the general election.
According to MLive, that case was set for trial in September 2025 after the alleged victim testified that on July 10, 2025, the councilman punched her in the head, dragged her around by her hair, and choked her inside a home the couple shared in Mt. Morris Township. An affidavit from the victim claims she lived with El-Alamin at the home starting in June 2023 until the day of the alleged assault in 2025.
El-Alamin was slapped with charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, which is a felony, and a misdemeanor domestic violence charge after township police said they saw facial lacerations and other physical markings on the alleged victim’s neck after she contacted emergency dispatchers for help. The councilman is also looking at a habitual offender charge, which allows a court to increase the severity of the sentence for a repeat offender.
Attorneys working the case stated in March 2026 that the alleged victim might not be interested in testifying against El-Alamin, however, Leyton revealed that he has plans to prosecute the case anyway. The councilman has claimed since his arrest that he is “innocent of all the charges” against him. He is currently serving his first term in office, representing the 1st Ward in Flint.
El-Alamin is also currently campaigning to represent the 3rd Ward in the November election and is, as of this writing, set to face candidate Paradise Williams. Beverly Biggs-Leavy, who was previously disqualified from the ballot, is also running in the race, though as a registered write-in. While the councilman is still maintaining an active campaign, even if he wins in November, he may not be serving another term.
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The city charter for Flint states that a council member’s seat must be forfeited should the individual be convicted of a felony while holding the office. Should El-Alamin be convicted of the violence charges against him, he could receive a sentence of 10 years behind bars. The councilman claims that both cases are politically motivated.
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