LANSING (WKZO) — While the demands for their resignations continue to mount up, State Representatives Cindy Gamrat and Todd Courser remain secluded, refusing to comment about their affair or the almost bizarre attempt at a cover-up detailed in the Detroit News on Friday.
Courser was holed up in his Lapeer office Friday, ignoring knocks at his locked door while the media staked out his car parked out back.
Gamrat was secluded in her Plainwell home, no one responding to the doorbell.
Its all a fresh wound, still so new it doesn’t even have a nickname yet.
Local Tea Party leader Gene Clem has joined those calling for their resignations, saying they should be focusing on healing their families right now. He says he is saddened by the situation.
On the other end of the Political Spectrum, Progress Michigan Director Lonnie Scott says not only should Gamrat and Courser be investigated, but there should also be a probe to find out how much Speaker Kevin Cotter knew and when he knew it.
Dislodging a sitting official is not an easy task if those officials don’t want to go.
Democratic State Senator Virgil Smith was arrested months ago and faces trial for three felonies for allegedly firing a shotgun at his ex-wife’s fleeing car.
He is said to be exploring an insanity defense.
Smith continues to sit in the State Senate casting votes and representing his district. He has been stripped of his committee assignments and leadership positions, but there has been no effort mounted to boot him out.
The Republican’s have found it impossible to dislodge Dave Agema from his National Committee post, despite a number of blogs and comments that they say have embarrassed the party, and he isn’t even elected.
Gamrat describes the controversial former House Representative as a friend and advisor. If she and Courser follow his example and hang tough like Agema has, it could be a GOP nightmare.
Tea Party officials say they are already lining up primary challengers to take out Gamrat and Courser if they don’t resign, but they still have a year and a half left in their terms.
A recall is one option, but new rules designed to make recall campaigns tougher would also make that a time consuming and messy process played out in public.
A bill eliminating February elections could mean that even if the signatures were collected, it wouldn’t be possible to hold a recall vote for another 8 months.
If it is found by the House investigation that taxpayers funds were used inappropriately, they could demand reimbursement and refer the matter to the Attorney General’s office.
If laws were violated.there could also be a resolution removing them from office if a super-majority, or 2/3rds of the House voted to oust them.
So far, Courser has been the only one implicated directly in the cover-up, from published reports.
Gamrat has an open coffee hour scheduled for constituents on Monday evening in Saugatuck. What do you think the chances are she will appear?
