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Ex-Lawmakers Face Felony Charges for Botched Cover Up

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Warrants have been issued for the arrest of former Michigan state Reps. Todd Courser (R) and Cindy Gamrat (R) “for felony charges of misconduct in office related to their failed attempts to cover up an extramarital affair that rocked the Capitol last summer,” the Detroit News reports.

“If convicted on all counts, Courer would face a maximum of 30 years in prison. If found guilty, Gamrat could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.”

Michigan Lawmakers Ousted in Sex Scandal Cover Up

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“It took 14 hours, two failed votes and a day full of drama, but at 3:12 a.m. Friday, state Rep. Todd Courser (R) resigned from his state House seat, and an hour later, Rep. Cindy Gamrat (R) was expelled on a 91-12 vote, ending a controversial sex and cover-up scandal that has rocked Lansing for the last month,” the Detroit Free Press reports.

“The scandal swirling around Courser and Gamrat had been rumored for months, but burst onto the public scene last month when audio recordings surfaced and revealed that Courser had asked his staff to send an anonymous, “false flag” e-mail that he had written, saying he was addicted to drugs and pornography, and paid for sex with men outside a Lansing bar. His staff refused to participate in the attempt to make it appear that Courser was the victim of a smear campaign and to downplay the affair he was having with Gamrat.”

Michigan Political Sex Scandal Gets Weirder

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“Someone using the name ‘Todd Courser’ purchased a cell phone used to send anonymous text messages to Michigan state Rep. Todd Courser (R) and other figures at the center of a political sex scandal,” MLive reports.

“It’s the latest bizarre twist in the sex scandal involving Courser and fellow Republican Rep. Cindy Gamrat (R), who are accused of trying to cover-up their extra-marital affair… News of the sex scandal broke earlier this month when a former staffer shared audio recordings of Courser plotting a fake email that accused himself of having sex with a male prostitute and doing drugs, an apparent attempt to discredit any real revelation.”


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Lawmaker Fakes Smear Campaign to Hide Affair

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Michigan state Rep. Todd Courser (R) “planned the distribution of a fictional email alleging he had sex with a male prostitute in a bid to conceal his relationship with Rep. Cindy Gamrat (R),” according to audio recordings obtained by The Detroit News.

“Courser said on one recording the email was designed to create ‘a complete smear campaign’ of exaggerated, false claims about him and Gamrat so a public revelation about the legislators’ relationship would seem ‘mild by comparison.'”

“The pair are socially conservative legislators who often invoke their Christian faith in pursuit of new legislation governing gun rights, abortion and marriage.”

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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