Representative Gamrat: Voters Should Decide Fate, Not House Committee

It appears that embattled state Representative Cindy Gamrat is not only staying in office, but she could be seeking another term. After a hearing Tuesday morning of a special committee formed to examine an internal investigation into her and Representative Todd Courser, the Plainwell Republican said her fate should be left up to her district and not other lawmakers.

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A source has told WSJM News that Gamrat has said she plans to run for reelection in 2016, saying she feels she should be given another chance by voters. She and Courser are accused of using state resources to cover up an affair. An internal investigation by the House Business Office found evidence the two are guilty of misconduct in office through “deceptive, deceitful and outright dishonest” activities. The story broke this summer when a former staffer gave secretly-recorded conversations he had with Courser to “The Detroit News,” in which Courser laid out how he wanted to issue a fictitious email alleging he was caught having sex with a male prostitute in order to make the affair seem tame. Courser contends he hatched the scenario because he was being blackmailed. The special committee, which met Tuesday for the first time, could recommend a variety of penalties, including expulsion from the House.