Michigan House Committee Votes To Expel Reps Courser, Gamrat Over Affair Cover Up

LANSING (WWJ) - A House committee has voted to expel two lawmakers who misused taxpayer resources to hide their extramarital affair.

During their testimony, both Michigan Representatives Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat asked to be censured — but the six-member committee on Thursday voted otherwise.

Before the vote, Committee Chair Ed McBroom recommended expulsion.

"Through the evidence and through the testimony of the two representatives, specifically (it was determined) that expulsion is a proper move for this chamber," McBroom said.

WWJ's Tim Skubick says the four GOP members on the panel voted yes, while the two Democrats said no.

"The reason the Democrats on the committee didn't vote on this is that they complained bitterly this morning that the process was not over. There were other witnessed that they wanted to bring in to testify on the behavior of these two lawmakers," Skubick said.

"But the Republican share of the committee simply said look it: We've already heard from Ms. Gamrat and Mr. Courser and they admitted to all the wrongdoing that was in the report, so why do we need more witnesses? Why do we need to drag this this out? Let's get this over with," said Skubick. "And that's what the Republicans did by sending these expulsion resolutions to the House floor."

That decision isn't in line with what a top House lawyer suggested on Wednesday.  Brock Swartzle, general counsel for the Republican-led chamber and chief of staff to Speaker Kevin Cotter, said Courser, of Lapeer, should be expelled. He said a censure would be appropriate Gamrat, of Plainwell, whom he described as mostly an accomplice in the cover-up attempt.

In a bizarre twist, Courser admitted that he arranged for a phony, sexually explicit email to be sent to GOP activists and others reporting that he had been caught having sex with a male prostitute. Courser said he believed the make-believe story would draw attention from the true tale of his affair, and make his affair less believable when it was exposed by an anonymous blackmailer who'd been threatening him.

Both Gamrat, 42, and Courser, 43, are Republicans.

The full House was expected to vote on the matter later Thursday. Seventy-three votes are needed to expel the pair.