'I was very sick': Michigan Republican says COVID-19 made him inappropriately touch a nurse

A Republican Michigan State Senator announced today that he will not seek reelection after having pleaded guilty to inappropriately touching a nurse practitioner. Sen. John Bizon, from Battle Creek, told Gongwer News Service on Tuesday he's "decided to spend more time with his family."

According to the Detroit Free Press, Bizon - who is a retired physician - admitted to grabbing the female nurse practitioner around the waist during an August 2021 visit to an urgent care medical facility in the town of Marshall. The nurse told police that the 70-year-old was questioning her about how to treat his COVID-19 symptoms when he pulled her close to him and made inappropriate comments.

According to a police report about the incident, Bizon also became angry when the nurse practitioner refused to prescribe a particular medication he wanted, repeatedly telling her he was disappointed in her and left the facility.

The Free Press reports that "the victim told police that when she told a female medical assistant what Bizon had done, the assistant said he had also touched her when she took his vitals and had made inappropriate comments."

In March, Bizon was sentenced to a year of probation after pleading guilty to the misdemeanor charge. He also was ordered to pay more than $1,000 in court costs, complete a mental health program and have no contact with the woman he grabbed inappropriately.

In a statement he issued after pleading guilty, the former physician blamed his behavior on the virus. “Without question, this entire situation is regrettable. As a doctor who has spent decades caring for those in need, I am deeply distressed that I unintentionally caused someone to feel unsafe," Bizon said. "I was very sick at the time of the incident and did not behave as I normally would have. Nevertheless, I take this situation very seriously and have learned from it.”