LANSING, Mich. — A Battle Creek man was bound over from district court to circuit court on sex crimes charges, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced Friday.
40-year-old Jonathan Byrd is charged with one count of fourth degree criminal sexual conduct.
Byrd has been a prominent figure in Michigan politics and governmental lobbying on behalf of his former employer, the Michigan Laborers District Council of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA).
“My department is committed to defending the rights of sexual assault victims,” Nessel said. “We will continue to seek accountability on their behalf regardless of how well-connected a preparator may be and irrespective of whatever prominence they enjoy in the dealings of our government.”
Byrd is accused of forcibly moving the victim’s hand onto his private parts at a social gathering in Kalamazoo County in April 2022.
The AG’s office says Byrd and the victim worked in the same field, and Byrd held an influential position— creating a significant power imbalance between him and the victim.
Byrd has since resigned from his role as director of external affairs for the Michigan Laborers’ District Council of LIUNA and his role as president of the South-Central Michigan Area Labor Council of the Michigan AFL-CIO.
A date has not yet been set for his next court appearance, which will be at the Kalamazoo County Circuit Court.
