At today’s special House committee hearing, Rep. Cindy Gamrat
shed a few more public tears as she read a statement admitting she had lied previously
about the cover-up of her extramarital affair with Rep. Todd Courser.

Gamrat (R-Plainwell) conceded that she played a role in
planning the bizarre “false flag” email that invented a story about Courser
having sex with a male prostitute behind a Lansing nightclub.
She also called on the committee to censure her, rather
than expel her.
 
Here’s how MLive reported on the session:
Gamrat, who took an oath before testifying, accepted the summary
findings of a House Business Office investigation, which alleged that she
and Courser misused taxpayer resources to hide their affair and inappropriately
mixed official and political business.

For the first time, Gamrat acknowledged that she and
Courser discussed the concept of a “controlled burn” email he
eventually sent in an attempt to discredit any real revelations of their
affair, although she said she did not know specific contents of the email at
the time.

“I take full responsibility for my role in
Representative Courser’s plan and the resulting harm it has caused,” said
Gamrat, who had previously and publicly denied any knowledge of the email
before it was sent.

Rep. Ed McBroom, (R-Vulcan) chair of the committee, said
it was “very troubling” that Gamrat had initially lied about the
email, especially during the investigation by the House Business Office, but he
indicated that the censure recommendation is worthy of consideration.
 
House General Counsel Brock Swartzle recommended to the
panel expulsion for Courser (R-Lapeer) and a “severe” censure for Gamrat, which
would likely mean that she would be removed from her committee assignments.
 

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