Both candidates ran on "traditional marriage" platforms.
This embarrassing chapter in Michigan politics is finally coming to a close. After an all-day voting marathon, state Rep. Todd Courser and state Rep. Cindy Gamrat
are gone:
Courser, R-Lapeer, resigned at 3:12 a.m. on Friday as the House prepared for a third vote on a resolution to expel him from office.
One hour later, the House voted 91-12 to expel Gamrat, R-Plainwell, making her just the fourth lawmaker ever to be removed from the Michigan Legislature by her peers.
Even Michigan Republicans
weren't willing to muster a defense:
The House Business Office, which launched an investigation last month at the request of Speaker Kevin Cotter, R-Mt. Pleasant, had accused both Courser and Gamrat of "deceptive, deceitful, and outright dishonest conduct."
The whole story has been stranger than fiction from the start. The pair had a lengthy affair and were outed (and secretly recorded) by former aides
who accused them of using state resources to cover the affair. They also created an outrageous and fictitious story involving male prostitutes to divert attention from their real-life dalliance.
Both Courser and Gamrat came into the Michigan Legislature as Tea Party darlings, creating havoc among Michigan Republicans in the House. Courser was not shy about his plans to run for U.S. Congress.
It's safe to say that will never happen now. Both Courser and Gamrat are now off to "spend more time with their families"—or divorce lawyers. It's a painful end to this chapter for them and their families, but perhaps a fresh new start for the people of Michigan.