Watch Sex Scandal Hearings Live: Attorney Says Courser 'Failed in Spectacular Fashion' (UPDATED)

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This story has been updated:

State Rep. Todd Courser “failed in a miserable and spectacular fashion” with a phony email scheme to to cover up his affair with state Rep. Cindy Gamrat, the Michigan House of Representative’s lawyer said Tuesday.

“It is my recommendation that Rep. Courser be expelled immediately, and Rep. Gamrat receive censure with severe conditions, such as loss of committee assignments, staff and office expense statements,” Brock Swartzie, the chief legal counsel for the House testified Tuesday as a select committee began hearings on the future of the two embattled state representatives.

Gamrat, R-Plainwell, tearfully apologized during the hearing, asked for forgiveness, and admitted to the misuse of taxpayer resources and misconduct in office.

“I’m seeking forgiveness for my transgression, as well as avoiding any further erosion of the respect for this great institution. I’m seeking to pull myself up and out if this situation both personally and professionally,” Gamrat said. “It’s a tremendous honor and privilege for me to serve in the House. I’m sincerely devastated that I’ve made the mistakes that I’ve made.”

The two freshmen lawmakers, who shared office space and staff, were caught in an ongoing affair. Courser allegedly tried to cover it up with a the fake email scheme reporting that he had been caught having sex with a male prostitute outside of a Lansing night club.

Courser, a Lapeer Republican, is expected to testify when the committee resumes its work at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, the Detroit Free Press reports. In a letter, he took responsibility for the cover-up and said his actions “did not rise to the honor that has been bestowed upon me as state Representative.”

“I sincerely and humbly ask for forgiveness from all those involved,” he wrote. “I ask that you consider a public censure in lieu of expulsion to allow me the opportunity to redeem myself in the public eye and restore the integrity of the state of Michigan.”

Swartzie said the affair itself didn’t rise to the level of expulsion, but Courser’s attempt to cover it up his adultery was “quite possibly the most bizarre attempt at misdirection seen in the history of this Legislature.”

The profanity-laced email was sent to members of the media and to others around Lansing.

The lawyer characterized Gamrat’s role in the cover up as that of an “accomplice.”

The committee, which also heard excerpts from five hours of audio recordings made former staff members and reviewed the email Courser sent to cover up the affair, could fates of the two freshmen Republican lawmakers as early as Wednesday.

Committee chairman Rep. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, told the Free Press the evidence supports the expulsion of both lawmakers, but said a case can also be made of Gamrat’s censure.

State Rep. Kurt Heise, R-Plymouth, the committee’s vice-chair, said Gamrat’s demeanor in the weeks since the scandal broke could work to her benefit.

“I think she has played this crisis better than Rep. Courser. She’s made some mistakes along the way, but I believe her apology is sincere,” he said. “She’s not coming in with a bad attitude. She’s coming in contrite and remorseful.”

McBroom, however, said her contrition may be “akin to someone seeing the writing on the wall and asking for mercy.”

Patch’s earlier report:

Michigan State Rep. Cindy Gamrat, R-Plainwell, is expected to admit she misused taxpayer resources to cover up an affair with Rep. Todd Courser, R-Lapeer, as a House select committee begins three days of disciplinary hearings begin Tuesday morning.

You can watch the hearings live on the Michigan House website. The hearings were scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m.

The Detroit News reports that Gamrat is expected to acknowledge misusing taxpayer resources and misconduct in office in a bid to keep her job. She wants the committee to recommend censure rather than expulsion, sources told The Detroit News.

Courser and Gamrat are accused of “engaging in “deceptive, deceitful and outright dishonest conduct” in their attempts to cover up the affair.

Catch Up on This Story:

• State Rep Wanted to Cover Up Affair With Fake Gay Sex Scandal
• Rep. Courser’s Brother Posts Alleged Blackmail Texts Online
• Not My Finest Moment’ – State Rep Apologizes for Fake Sex Scandal Scheme
• Legislators Not Quitting, Ex-Aide Shares Steamy Details of Affair
• Lawmakers OK Inquiry into House Sex Scandal and Cover-Up
• Select Committee to Decide Fate of Lawmakers in Sex Scandal: Read the Report