Grand Traverse County Commission Chair Rob Hentschel is under investigation for alleged criminal sexual conduct, with the case being reviewed by the Michigan Attorney General's office.

Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg confirms Hentschel is being investigated for CSC. According to the complaint, a 38-year-old woman alleged that Hentschel sexually assaulted her at a party he invited her to after they attended an event together in early October. The party was reported to involve heavy drinking, and the woman said Hentschel initiated sex with her against her will. Other individuals are also alleged to have taken part in the assault. The woman went to Munson Medical Center for a sexual assault examination, with the report then sent to the Michigan State Police. 

Michigan AG Press Secretary Danny Wimmer says his department received a request from Grand Traverse County for a special prosecutor to be assigned to the case on November 20. Because county commissioners oversee Moeggenberg's budget, presenting a potential conflict, she typically refers cases involving any commissioners to the state AG's office for review (as with the recent arrest of Vice Chair Brad Jewett for engaging the services of a prostitute).

"A request for the appointment of a special prosecutor will come first to the Department of Attorney General for assessment of whether the claimed conflict exists, and then in most cases sent to the Prosecuting Attorneys Coordinating Council (PACC) to be placed with a different prosecuting agency to handle the case," Wimmer explains. "The PACC is an autonomous entity housed within this Department. This request for the appointment of a special prosecutor remains under review."

Hentschel provided the following statement to The Ticker regarding the allegations: "Sadly, this is not the first time during my public service that I have been subjected to attacks to hurt me and my family. The implications in the report you were provided are false. Due to the nature of the report, I have been advised against saying anything more than this."

Trenton Lee, the recent Democractic challenger to Hentschel in District 5 who narrowly lost to him in the November election, also issued a statement. "The recent allegations against my former opponent are deeply serious, and as a survivor of sexual assault, I find the initial details particularly triggering and concerning," he posted on Facebook. "While he remains under investigation, like all Americans, he is entitled to due process. That said, I believe Commissioner Hentschel should resign from the county board out of respect for county staff and residents, allowing him to privately address these matters without distracting from important county business and causing more harm to the county’s reputation."