LANSING, Mich. — The full report detailing allegations against embattled state Reps. Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat will be made public Monday.
According to Gideon D’Assandro, press secretary for Republican House Speaker Kevin Cotter, legal counsel for the Michigan House Business Office has reviewed the information. The report will list each allegation against both representatives along with evidence backing up the allegations and supporting House rules.
A special House committee enacted to investigate and make recommendations for discipline will now review the full report, which will include all interviews, emails and other information that can be brought up during later public expulsion hearings, D’Assandro said.
Preliminary findings released last week showed ‘troubling’ evidence of misconduct and misuse of taxpayer resources on the part of both Gamrat and Courser in their alleged attempt to cover up an extra marital affair, according to House Speaker Kevin Cotter.
Criminal charges could still be pursued in the case.
The freshman lawmakers and conservative favorites have admitted to having an extramarital affair after the Detroit News obtained and released audio recordings of Courser trying to persuade an aide to take part in a bizarre cover-up involving allegations that Courser had been caught with a male prostitute.
Courser has since claimed he was being blackmailed by powerful Lansing forces into sending out the cover up email.
House members have alsopassed a resolution ordering an investigation into whether Rep. Todd Courser and Rep. Cindy Gamrat are fit to hold office. The move signaled the likely first step toward expelling a pair of Republican members who have been in the news this month over a sex scandal and cover-up.
Both have stated publicly they will not resign.
Expulsion requires holding hearings and securing a two-thirds majority of members to vote another member out. It has happened just twice before in the history of the Michigan Legislature: in 2001 to Sen. David Jaye and in 1978 Rep. Monte Geralds.
On Thursday, Gamrat’s spokesperson Justin Near, of Near Perfect Media, which took on crisis communication responsibilities for the representative earlier in August, resigned.
