Betrayal. Blackmail. Political Intrigue. Sex. These aren’t the ingredients of the latest suspense novel, rather these are the elements unfolding in Michigan where Republican state lawmaker, Todd Courser is embroiled in a bizarre sex scandal involving another Republican Michigan representative, Cindy Gamrat.
According to the Detroit News , recordings were obtained indicating the junior lawmakers used public funds to conceal their affair and that a former staffer of Courser was enlisted to help conceal the affair by distributing a false story involving Courser which he called “a controlled burn,” a term he used several times in the recordings.
The false story planned by Courser was to indicate that he, as a Tea-Party backed politician, was involved in another sex scandal with a male prostitute. This story, in an apparent attempt to be outrageous, was meant to divert the attention away from the affair with Gamrat.
The former staffer of Courser was fired after refusing to help the lawmakers hide their affair, adding another dimension to this bizarre sex scandal.
Appearing with her husband and often fighting back tears, Gamut staged a press conference offering an apology for her conduct and said that before the affair had become public, her family was already working through the issues.
According to NBC News , Courser posted an audio statement on his website where he accuses several of his aides of blackmailing him . He also gave out the contact information of the aides, whom he labels “political operatives,” but they could not be reached for comment. Courser also says that he needs to seek forgiveness from Gamrat’s family and from her husband specifically. It is unknown if he has reached out to Gamrat’s family.
Courser has gone into damage control mode, taking to Twitter to comment on the developments as they come to light.
In a strange twist, Dan Courser, Todd Courser’s brother, began receiving demands via text messages that his brother should converse with the blackmailer and that Courser resign his seat in the Michigan Legislature. He posted several pictures of the conversation on his Facebook page after being accused that the accounts of the blackmailer is false.
An investigation has been initiated by the Michigan House Business Office to determine if any of the conduct engaged by Courser and Gamrat violates any house rules or is illegal in nature.
[Photo via – Detroit Free Press/Michigan House Republicans]