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Rand Paul adviser accuses Marco Rubio official of punching him in Michigan bar Rand Paul adviser accuses Marco Rubio official of punching him in Michigan bar
(about 1 hour later)
Rand Paul’s national political director has claimed that a top official for Republican presidential rival Marco Rubio’s campaign punched him at a conference on a Michigan island on Thursday night. The Guardian has obtained video which appears to show a top official for the campaign of Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio punching the national political director of a rival candidate, Rand Paul.
In a Facebook post early Friday morning, John Yob, a Michigan-based political consultant who currently serves as national political director for the Paul campaign, said Rubio’s deputy campaign manager, Rich Beeson, sucker-punched him in a downtown bar on Mackinac Island. The incident is alleged to have occurred at a conference on a Michigan island on Thursday night.
“I ran into a guy named Rich Beeson, who frankly I didn’t even know who it was at first because he isn’t relevant in our political world,” 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.” In a Facebook post early Friday morning, John Yob, a Michigan-based political consultant who serves as national political director for the Paul campaign, said Rubio’s deputy campaign manager, Rich Beeson, sucker-punched him in a downtown bar on Mackinac Island.
An officer with the Mackinac Island police department told the Guardian he could neither confirm nor deny the incident took place until the police chief arrived later Friday morning. “I ran into a guy named Rich Beeson, who frankly I didn’t even know who it was at first because he isn’t relevant in our political world,” Yob said.
A Michigan politics blogger, Brandon Hall, wrote on Friday that he witnessed the alleged barroom episode play out, saying an “unprovoked” Beeson approached Yob and tried to hit him. “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.”
“It wasn’t a brawl,” the Mackinac Island police chief, Brett Riccinto, told the Guardian. “If anything, it was a shove. Literally, it was a shove. This thing has been blown way, way, way out of proportion.”
Riccinto said a complaint had been made for assault, and it had been forwarded to the prosecutor to decide if charges would be filed. He confirmed the alleged incident occurred at Horn’s Bar.
A Michigan politics blogger, Brandon Hall, wrote on Friday that he witnessed the alleged episode, saying an “unprovoked” Beeson approached Yob and tried to hit him.
“Beeson missed a full-on shot but still stuck Yob’s in the face with a powerful blow near the jaw,” Hall said, adding that Rubio’s aide was “heard trying to whip votes on behalf of Rubio for the Mackinac Straw Poll throughout the night”.“Beeson missed a full-on shot but still stuck Yob’s in the face with a powerful blow near the jaw,” Hall said, adding that Rubio’s aide was “heard trying to whip votes on behalf of Rubio for the Mackinac Straw Poll throughout the night”.
The Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference takes place every two years on Mackinac Island, located roughly four hours north of Detroit. Officials say over 2,000 attendees have registered to attend this year. The Rubio campaign initially reacted in disbelief. At 12.51am, Yob sent Rubio’s campaign manager, Terry Sullivan, an email in which he wrote: “Hey man you better wake up. Beeson punched me in the face. Cops involved.”
Sullivan replied right away, thinking it was a joke.
In the morning, Sullivan followed up apologetically: “I assumed you were kidding when you sent this last night. Guess I was wrong. Sorry I didn’t realize it was a real situation.”
In a statement, Yob said: “I appreciate Terry Sullivan’s change of heart this morning on the assault by his staff member and it is understandable that he would have initially thought that this was too crazy to actually be true.
“The Rubio campaign is not to blame. Today I hope that he and Senator Rubio will take action on this matter as the state police investigate.”
This is not the first time that Horn has been involved in political fisticuffs. In 2003, Mike Bishop, now a US Republican representative but then a state senator, was punched outside the bar, suffering concussion and a broken nose.
Bishop had attempted to board a horse-drawn carriage that was occupied by his assailant and the assailant’s girlfriend, whom Bishop had allegedly been hitting on.
The Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference takes place every two years on Mackinac Island, located roughly four hours north of Detroit. Officials say more than 2,000 attendees have registered to attend this year. The results of the Straw Poll will be released on Saturday night.
Six Republican presidential candidates are expected to speak: Paul, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker, ex-Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Ohio governor John Kasich, and Senator Ted Cruz. Rubio was not slated to speak.Six Republican presidential candidates are expected to speak: Paul, former Florida governor Jeb Bush, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker, ex-Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Ohio governor John Kasich, and Senator Ted Cruz. Rubio was not slated to speak.
The Rubio campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.The Rubio campaign did not immediately return a request for comment.