Lawmakers Caught in Tryst Dismiss Felony Charges as Politics

LANSING, MI – Both Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat, the disgraced former Michigan state legislators who face felony charges related to a bizarre cover-up of their extramarital affair last year, have accused state Attorney General Bill Schuette of playing politics and dusting off a vague statute that ignores the Constitution to charge them.

Schuette announced the charges against the former Tea Party Republican legislators Friday after a months-long investigation by his office and the Michigan State Police. Gamrat was expelled from the House in September, several weeks after the scandal was exposed, and Courser resigned moments before the House was prepared to expel him as well.

The charges allege that Gamrat and Courser engaged in a pattern of corrupt conduct while holding state office, including both lying to the House Business Office during its investigation, and Courser of lying during testimony before the House Select Committee, while under oath, about directing staff to forge his signature on proposed legislation.

The felony charges against Courser include:

• Three charges of misconduct in office,, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or a maximum $10,000 fine.
• One charge of perjury, a felony, with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

Gamrat will be charged with:

• Two charges of misconduct in office, a felony, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or a maximum $10,000 fine.

He pointed out there have been no charges against those who engaged in “extortion, wiretapping, stalking, conspiracy, and multiple other felonies,” including Gamrat’s soon-to-be former husband, Joe Gamrat.

The Michigan State Police alleged that Joe Gamrat and a friend and co-worker sent text messages threatening to expose the affair.

Both Courser and Cindy Gamrat said MCL 750.505 is a vague, rarely used “catchall” statute that appears to be unconstitutional.

“Ms. Gamrat is going to avail herself of the constitutional protections afforded her by the Constitution and vigorously defend against this apparent abuse of process,” Allegen attorney Robert Baker said in a statement.

The two were ousted after a House investigation launched after a Detroit News story in August 2015 exposed the affair and an elaborate scheme masterminded by Courser to cover up the affair with a fake gay sex scandal.