The MLive newspaper group, which includes the Grand Rapids Press, Kalamazoo Gazette and Flint Journal, has joined the boisterous chorus clamoring for the resignations of State Reps. Cindy Gamrat and Todd Courser.

The group’s editorial board this morning published an editorial in the wake of last week’s allegations the two were having an extramarital affair and tried to use publicly paid staff members to help cover it up.

Also calling for their resignations were Allegan County GOP Chairman Steve McNeal, GOP Congresswoman Candice Miller, and longtime Allegan County GOP activist Gerry Hildebrand of Plainwell.

Gamrat (R-Plainwell) was elected last November to serve the 80th District, which includes Hopkins, Watson and Martin townships. Courser (R-Lapeer) also is a freshman representative. Both were elected in their GOP primaries last August by pluralities.

Courser has flatly refused to step down since the allegations were made public last Friday by the Detroit News. Gamrat, meanwhile, has been silent and she canceled a planned town meeting at the Lee Township Hall Monday night in Pullman.

The MLive editorial reads as follows:

“Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat must go.

“The freshman Republican lawmakers are embroiled in scandal after a damning Detroit News report revealed a bizarre, ham-handed attempt to distract from their extramarital affair with fake allegations that Courser, R-Lapeer, was caught having sex with a man behind a Lansing nightclub.

“Details of the plot — backed up by The News with audio recordings of Courser supplied by a former aide — boggle and vex the mind. But never mind the salacious bits that have provoked scorn and accusations of hypocrisy toward the religious, tea party lawmakers: the real travesty is their plan to enlist aides whose salaries are paid by taxpayers to spread their deceit via email to Republicans across Michigan.

“These are not the words and actions of a person who is serious about the best interests of his constituents. This is the mudslinging of a man who fancies himself a martyr to the far-right conservative cause, a man who abuses the powers of his post and days later vows to remain in place to root out corruption in the Republican establishment. This is another feeble attempt at deflecting blame, like the offensive gay-sex allegations he devised with Gamrat. It’s clear that the only interests Courser looks out for are his own, not those of the people he serves.

“Gamrat, R-Plainwell, has remained silent now that details of the conspiracy are public. But her role is without question; the audio of Courser attaches her directly to the plans. Unlike Courser, she has declined to dig herself into a deeper hole in the scandal’s wake. But she, too, is culpable, and deserves the utmost scrutiny as well.

“As the House investigation into whether Courser and Gamrat abused taxpayer resources continues, more details are likely to become known. We may yet learn the extent of other lawmakers’ knowledge of the plot, and whether other players were ensnared in this tangled web.

“Though it will take an investigation to determine any criminal wrongdoing, it does not take one to state the obvious. The pair sought to use taxpayer-funded resources to deceive colleagues and constituents. The attempted cover-up betrays a total lack of sound judgment, and shows their inability to effectively represent the people of Michigan.

“Courser and Gamrat are unfit to wield the power their positions afford them. They must immediately resign.”