After being booted by their colleagues and rejected by their constituents, former State Reps. Cindy Gamrat and Todd Courser now face criminal charges.
Michigan Attorney General William
Schuette Friday announced that Gamrat, who formerly represented Hopkins, Watson and Martin townships in the 80th District, will be charged with two counts of misconduct in public office. Courser, of Lapeer, took an ever harder hit, being charged with perjury, two counts of misconduct in office and misuse of taxpayer funds.
Gamrat, of Plainwell, was expelled from her office by her colleagues Sept. 11 and Courser resigned earlier that day. They both admitted to having an extra martial affair with one another and state officials asserted they both tried to cover it up and fired their aides for refusing to play along.
Both were elected in the November 2014 general election and were identified as members of the Tea Party, but both ran as Republicans, winning their primaries in August by pluralities. They were sworn in as legislators in January 2015, and they immediately combined their two offices into one and shared staffs.
The Detroit News broke the story of their affair and alleged coverup in August, which featured a bizarre report about Courser having a fake story made up about him having homosexual encounters near a nightclub in Lansing.
One of Courser’s aides audiotaped a conversation between him and the former legislator. Not long afterward, aides were fired. They since have filed suit, insisting they lost their jobs for being whistleblowers.
The story was picked up by news sources all over the nation and later was featured in a “20-20” program on ABC-TV.
Both Courser and Gamrat filed to run in a special primary election last November, maintaining the voters should decide whether they should go or stay. Both were trounced soundly.
Republican Mary Whiteford won that 80th District primary and will face Democrat David Gernant in a special general election that will coincide with the presidential primary Tuesday, March 8.
The 80th District seat includes all of Allegan County except the City of Wayland and Dorr Leighton and Wayland townships.
PHOTO: Former State Reps. Cindy Gamrat and Todd Courser in happier times.