Two Teaparty Lawmakers Running For Re-election After Sex Scandal Cover-Up
Two Teaparty lawmakers from Michigan who were forced out of office because they had an extramarital affair are running for re-election mere days after their ouster.
Michigan State Rep. Todd Courser resigned his seat after it was discovered he tried to cover up an affair with state Rep. Cindy Gamrat, who was expelled by her colleagues.
The scandal over the affair and attempted cover-up consumed the Michigan capitol and their fellow Republicans aren’t happy the two plan to run for office again, Republican political consultant Saul Anuzis told USA Today.
“They can make their case to their constituencies and let the citizens of the district vote. But I would find it hard to believe that people would want to continue the saga. My impression is that there have to be other candidates who can represent their districts in a calmer, more effective way.”
Their affair went on for some time, but it first came to light last month when Courser circulated a fake email intended to make his affair with Gamrat seem less believable if it was discovered. It accused him of paying for sex with a male prostitute and described him as drug-dealing, porn-addicted sexual deviant, according to the Chicago Tribune.
His staff refused to participate in the cover up and senior leadership eventually discovered the whole thing and hauled the two before the Michigan state House of Representatives.
Disgraced Michigan lawmaker Todd Courser: I'm running for my seat http://t.co/8w03jVPLbe via @DaniellaMicaela pic.twitter.com/8kGzHEg4kb
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 18, 2015
At first, state Democrats refused to vote on the expulsion, and instead called for a full investigation by law enforcement to determine the extent of the cover-up.
Courser resigned during a marathon House session rather than face a second expulsion vote, but Gamrat hung on asking for leniency and was finally ejected in a 91-12 vote at 3:12 a.m. after a 14 hour session.
Now, the two have both decided to campaign for their old seats in a special election designed to replace them.
Today Cindy Gamrat became the fourth legislator to be kicked out of office in Michigan history http://t.co/uFMwHkpNUf pic.twitter.com/XXqBnyL5Qp
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) September 12, 2015
Courser posted to Facebook that his wife had told him to run and told CNN the voters should decide his fate.
“She said the people haven’t had an opportunity to weigh in on this, and it was wrong the way that they did it, and they need to hear about your votes and the good work that you did for them in the state House. It shouldn’t be that legislators who have a political ax to grind can get together and decide they want to get rid of a member who’s been a problem for them.”
Gamrat is also running for her old seat and told USA Today she’s received many supportive messages.
“People keep telling me they feel terrible about what has happened to me and my family. They want to see me fight on.”
The primary will be held on November 3, and the special election will be March 8.
[Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images]
