Punch thrown as GOP Mackinac confab begins

MACKINAC ISLAND -- It will be up to the county prosecutor to decide whether criminal charges will be filed after a barroom incident early Friday morning in which a campaign official for a Republican presidential candidate accused a campaign official for another presidential candidate of assaulting him, the island's police chief said Friday.

"We've forwarded a complaint of an alleged assault to the Mackinac County prosecutor," Mackinac Island Police Chief Brett Riccinto told the Free Press. Whether any criminal charges will be filed "would be up to the prosecutor."

A huge Republican political gathering on Mackinac Island got under way early Friday morning with a barroom incident in which a top official for presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio allegedly threw a punch at a Michigan consultant working for Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.

The alleged incident took place at Horn's Bar, a popular nightspot on Mackinac Island, which hosts the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference, which is held every other year and has drawn six GOP presidential hopefuls this year.

John Yob, a Grand Rapids political consultant who is national political director and chief Michigan strategist for the Rand Paul campaign, said on Facebook Friday morning that he was punched in the face inside the bar by Rich Beeson, who is deputy campaign manager for Rubio, a Florida senator.

"I ran into a guy named Rich Beeson, who frankly I didn't even know who it was at first," Yob said. "He literally physically assaulted me by punching me in the face. The state police are looking for him. I have it on video, from multiple angles. This will play out in the national media in the next few hours."

Beeson did not return a phone message seeking comment.

Shanon Banner, a spokewoman for the Michigan State Police, said the MSP is not involved and the Mackinac Island Police Department is investigating the alleged assault.

Riccinto said police have taken statements from witnesses and also have security camera video from inside the bar that shows the alleged assault. He said the alleged victim, Yob, had posted a grainy version of the security video on the Internet.

An incident involving alcohol, a punch and Horn's Bar is already part of Michigan political lore.

In 2003, at the Detroit Regional Chamber's annual policy conference on Mackinac Island, U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop, then a state senator, got punched as he attempted to board a carriage in an early morning incident near Horn's Bar. The Clarkston man who threw the punch was arrested and convicted.

Paul is expected to be on the island to speak at the conference. Rubio is not. The conference, hosted by the Michigan Republican Party, runs until Sunday morning.

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@paulegan4.