Sixty-seven members supported expelling him, six short of the two-thirds supermajority needed under the state constitution. But the full chamber then deadlocked for hours, as more than two dozen Democrats in the minority refused to vote. But legislators hit a standstill that night, as many Democrats decided not to vote, calling the internal investigation a “sham”. His decision came amid a marathon overnight session in the House over whether he and Rep. Cindy Gamrat should stay in their jobs.
As for Gamrat, she pleaded with her former collegues in the state house for a censure.
Rep. Todd Courser early this morning resigned as representative of the 82nd House District, and was escorted out of the chamber.
“I firmly believe in restoration and redemption”, she said”. In particular, he had wanted the select committee to be able to subpoena staff members central to the whole issue. The actions of the two representatives were indeed egregious, and removing them from office may be warranted.
Courser and Gamrat’s troubles may not yet be over, however. Courser and Gamrat as requested by the Legislature in House Resolutions 141 & 145.
Republicans held the board open for greater than 4 hours, ready for the Democrats who selected to not vote to vary their thoughts.
– August. 10: Courser apologizes and says he will not resign.
Representative Todd Courser resigned from his position in the early hours of September 11, following an affair with another lawmaker. Whether it was the third vote or the fourth vote or the fifth vote, they were going to eventually get me’.
Initially, they had both asked to be censured, which would have allowed them to remain in office.
The freaky ploy was an attempt to make his affair with Gamrat less believable should the two be exposed. The Michigan State Police will be opening an investigation into the possibility of criminal activity by the pair, in an attempt to hide their extramarital affair.
Matthew Schneider, chief legal counsel to Schuette, attended the hearings Tuesday and Wednesday by the House’s special committee created to recommend disciplinary measures for Courser and Gamrat.
Before news of the affair broke last month in the Detroit News, the politicians – both parents and both married to opposite-sex partners – knew their outing was imminent.
As we discussed, Courser allegedly pressed an aide to leak a rumor – making it seem as if it had come from one of his enemies – telling state GOP activists that Courser had been “caught behind a Lansing nightclub” having sex with a man.
The aides refused to go along with the misinformation campaign, which involved the distribution of sexually explicit emails accusing Courser – a staunch gay marriage opponent – of paying for sex with a male prostitute.