LANSING (WKZO) The summary takes 9 pages to lay out the allegations, backed up with 31-pages of documentation.
It alleges a number of House rules violations, misuse of tax dollars, misconduct and abuse of office, in addition to the extra-marital affair and the bazaar and misguided cover-up.
It accuses the two of “deceptive, deceitful and outright dishonest conduct”. It’s been less than seven months since they took the oath.
The House Select committee will receive a presentation of the full report today, as they begin their probe. They have been asked to return with a recommendation in two weeks.
Kalamazoo Democrat Jon Hoadley says the Select Committee was created on a voice vote, which means they don’t have subpoena power and can’t compel witnesses to tell the truth under risk of perjury.
Democratic Party Chair Brandon Dillon has repeated his call for an external criminal investigation and sharply criticized the Speakers decision to release a summary.
State Republican Party Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel condemned their conduct and says Gamrat and Courser should resign immediately.
Rep. Todd Courser claims the charges against him by the House Business Office were trumped up to fit a desired outcome, which is to expel him from the House.
He claims he is a victim of his politics who is being persecuted because of his conservative views by a “progressive establishment”.
Courser’s 4-thousand word response to the investigation issued last night, accuses his former staff of conspiring with Speaker Kevin Cotter to misconstrue political and personal conversations he had with staff on State Property.
He says other lawmakers have committed worse violations and were never expelled.
He also claimed he has a heart condition that sometimes makes him feel like he is suffering cardiac arrest, and that’s why he missed some committee meetings.
Cindy Gamrat has not commented.
