Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed earned $82,000 consulting for nonprofit accused of Medicare scams
Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed was paid $82,000 by One Health Partners, a nonprofit linked to alleged Medicare-related fraud, while running for office.
During his bid for the Michigan Senate, Abdul El-Sayed received $82,000 in consulting payments from One Health Partners, a Chicago-area nonprofit founded by Illinois businessman Ali Karim. Former employees have called Karim a "scam artist" and accused the firm of exploiting Medicare reimbursements through the acquisition of medical practices. El-Sayed’s financial disclosures indicate the consulting work started no earlier than July 2025, three months after his campaign began, and Karim also donated $7,000—the legal maximum—to El-Sayed’s campaign.
El-Sayed describes his services as supporting nonprofit health-care strategy and quality improvement for underserved patients, a claim that clashes with his past commentary denouncing health-care consolidators for inflating revenue and overbilling Medicare. Investigations and lawsuits in Wisconsin, Arizona, and Florida have highlighted Karim’s prior business controversies, including alleged misuse of investor funds and unpaid buyout agreements. The story underscores a potential conflict between El-Sayed’s anti-consolidation stance and his financial ties to a company under scrutiny for Medicare-related practices.
Why it matters
Voters need to know if a candidate’s financial ties conflict with his public health-care positions.
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