A new twist has just been added to the Courser/Gamrat scandal, as if the whole thing wasn’t already strange enough. In the wake of a sordid sex scandal, allegations of a cover-up conspiracy, the resulting felony charges, and a recent dismissal of charges in an Ingham County Court, the next chapter in this drama has just unfolded. Michigan’s Attorney General, Bill Schuette has just refiled felony charges against Todd Courser.
The saga began back in 2015. Lapeer, Michigan House Representative Courser received word that someone knew about his extramarital affair with Cindy Gamrat, also a Michigan lawmaker and intended to expose them. Courser then set about creating a “controlled burn.” His plan was to start a series of outlandish rumors about himself so that when the information about his affair with Gamrat was revealed, it would seem tame by comparison.
The first rumors to be released were that Courser had been found having sex with a male prostitute behind a gay bar in Lansing, and that he abused drugs and alcohol. Courser instructed his staffer, Ben Graham, to send out an email containing this information, but Graham refuses. Instead, he records the conversation and reports to Norm Saari, then-chief of staff for House Speaker Kevin Cotter, that he has concerns about Courser.
The email was sent anyway, but by then it was too late. Rumors of the affair had reached the media, and MLive filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Lansing Police Department, insisting that they follow up on the allegations. An investigation was opened on June 1st, and by mid August, House Speaker Kevin Cotter made a public statement that he intends to investigate the issue himself.
This is where it begins to unravel. Courser made public statements about the fact that he was being blackmailed and Gamrat made public statements owning up to the affair, but denying any role in the cover-up. But the fact that Courser asked a staffer to send an email containing falsified information had people wondering what other possible misuses of government resources may have taken place behind closed doors.
In the end, both Courser and Gamrat were accused of Misconduct in Office, while Courser was also charged with Perjury. Lansing’s 54A District Court Judge Hugh Clarke Jr. tossed out the charges against Gamrat, saying that there was not enough evidence to support them. He also dismissed two of the three Misconduct charges against Courser, one of which had to do with him asking a staffer to send an email containing false information. That one was considered a misuse of government resources under Michigan law.
At the time that he dismissed the charge against Courser, Judge Clark told the prosecution that he felt that the charge in question was not appropriate for Ingham County and should be filed in Lapeer County instead. Which is exactly what the Attorney General went and did. Schuette has refiled a single count of Misconduct in Office against Courser in Lapeer County, MI. It remain to be seen whether or not the charge will stick this time.
Sometimes it seems like certain Michigan politicians can’t stay out of trouble.