State House Business Office Probe Finds Wrongdoing By Gamrat, Courser

Tea party darlings and self-admitted adulterers Reps. Todd Courser, R-Lapeer, and Cindy Gamrat, R-Plainwell, have been cited for "misconduct" and "misuse of taxpayer resources" in a draft report from the House Business Office handed over to Speaker Kevin Cotter, R-Mount Pleasant.
That report could lead to the duo being expelled from the body.
Cotter is withholding the report until outside counsel can review the findings of Tim Bowlin, director of the House Business Office, the Detroit News reported.
"After completing the investigation, we have preliminary findings of both misconduct and the misuse of taxpayer resources by both representatives," Director Tim Bowlin said in a statement Monday afternoon.
In addition, the House voted to create a special committee to investigate the actions of the two lawmakers last week. That select committee will have subpoena power. Cotter has not yet announced who will serve on the committee, which could ultimately recommend expulsion of the two.
The investigation was triggered two weeks ago when the Detroit News published audio secretly recorded by Ben Graham dealing with the two lawmakers. There were two recordings, and during the recordings an email designed to throw supporters off the track of their affair was discussed. That email was sent out to top GOP leaders and activists and alleged Courser was a "bisexual porn addicted sex deviant." Courser is heard on one recording saying the email would "inoculate the herd" against rumors the two were engaged in an extramarital affair. He called it a "controlled burn," as well.
Both lawmakers have since admitted to the affair, but Courser has claimed the email was meant to smoke out an unidentified person attempting to blackmail the couple into resignation. Courser originally accused former staffers of participating in that blackmail ring, but Gamrat's private investigation team has since claimed to have found the source, and that it is not a former staffer or family members of the two, MLive reported.
Last week, former staffer Joshua Cline held a press conference in Metro Detroit to tell his side of the story. During that event, he said Courser would often sleep on Gamrat's office floor, and she would get a pillow and blanket and "tuck him in." The two lawmakers, with districts 130 miles apart, were sharing staff and office space as a cost saving measure, they claimed. Cline also confirmed a long standing rumor that the duo had been caught in the Radisson Hotel by Joe Gamrat, the husband of Cindy. He said it was not "an urban legend."
Between The Lines heard about that incident in which the rumor mill alleged the Lansing Police had been involved. A FOIA to the LPD, however, was denied because there were no records.