LANSING, Mich. -- State Representatives Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat "misused their office, their office staff and other state resources to cover-up an affair," the report from the House Business Office that was released Monday says.
Speaker of the House Kevin Cotter ordered the investigation following a story by the Detroit News that featured audio recordings of a bizarre affair cover-up attempt. The recordings reveal that Courser, R- Lapeer County, was apparently planning to distribute a fictional email alleging he had sex with a male prostitute in order to hide his relationship with Gamrat, R-Plainwell.
The discussion took place between Courser and a former House aide Ben Graham, according to the Detroit News.
Monday's report finds that "...both Representative Todd Courser and Representative Cindy Gamrat misrepresented themselves on several occasions during their testimony to the Business Office. This misrepresentation is made clear in the testimony of boy Keith Allard and Ben Graham, as well as the audio recordings substantiating that testimony."
"Out of respect for the office, Representatives Courser and Gamrat should resign immediately," Cotter, R-Mt. Pleasant, said in a statement. "But because these two will not do the right thing for their constituents, for their families and for the House, we will now move forward with a select committee to examine their qualifications.”
Courser and Gamrat have resisted calls to resign in the wake of the scandal.
Courser claims he was being blackmailed, but the House report says that the alleged blackmail texts have "very little relevance" to their investigation.
"It appears as if the texts did not come from within the Michigan House of Representatives or come from an employee of the Michigan House of Representatives," the report says.
