Charles J. O'Byrne (born 1959) is an American lawyer, former Jesuit priest, and former political staffer to Governor of New York David Paterson.
Prior to entering politics, O'Byrne practiced law and was a member of the Society of Jesus for 12 years[6] before departing his order and authoring a controversial 2002 article about Catholic priests and seminarians.
[8] O'Byrne attended Columbia University and graduated summa cum laude in 1981, majoring in history with a concentration in the Medieval and Renaissance periods.
[7] O'Byrne left corporate law for a vocation to the priesthood in 1989 and attended Saint John Neumann Residence and Hall, a preparatory school for seminarians under the Archdiocese of New York.
He professed his vows as a Jesuit at the LeMoyne College Chapel in Syracuse, New York in 1991[6] and completed his philosophy studies at Loyola University Chicago.
[8] He received a voluntary Decree of Dismissal from the Society of Jesus in 2002 when his superiors determined that he no longer wished to remain in the Order.
[9][12] The article caused some controversy, portraying O'Byrne's fellow seminarians as men who entered the religious life with "little or no sexual experience"[13] who made up for lost time.
[9] After Dean dropped out of the race, O'Byrne went to work for State Senate Minority Leader David Paterson as a speechwriter and policy analyst.
[14] O'Byrne was variously described as Paterson's "quarterback", "gatekeeper", "alter ego", "confidant", and "enforcer", and as "the glue that held the administration together".