A Michigan tea party lawmaker whose extramarital partner and fellow legislator allegedly faked a gay sex scandal to keep their relationship secret broke down in tears during a news conference on Friday for the “negative attention” the scandal has brought.
State Rep. Cindy Gamrat (R) said she was “not proud” of her “personal conduct,” but was fully cooperating with a state’s investigation into whether she and fellow state Rep. Todd Courser (R) used taxpayer resources to cover up their affair.
“I want to apologize for the negative attention this has brought. For that I am truly sorry,” Gamrat said in the press conference.
The affair was brought to light when the Detroit News newspaper obtained audio recordings of Courser apparently scheming to cover up his relationship with Gamrat by circulating phony, anonymous accusations that he was involved in a gay sex scandal.
Courser planned the fake scandal so details of his relationship with Gamrat would be “mild by comparison” when they were released, according to the audio recordings.
Courser initially asked one of his aides to send an anonymous email with the details of the fake sex scandal. The aide reportedly refused and was later fired.
Courser has since said, in a statement posted to his website, that he schemed the fake scandal to expose a blackmailer and sent the email alleging the gay sex scandal himself.
Gamrat said at the press conference that she was unaware of the email’s contents or that it was sent until a reporter asked her to comment on it.
“I didn’t author or assist in sending the email in question,” Gamrat said.
Gamrat also said she did not ask her former staff member to cover up her relationship with Courser. The staffer received a pay raise to compensate for a larger workload, and was ultimately fired, she said, for a “poor work performance.”
“Under no circumstance was anyone on my staff terminated because of a personal indiscretion on my part,” Gamrat said.
Gamrat did not explicitly state that she had an affair with Courser, but she repeatedly apologized to her three children and husband, who stood beside her at the press conference.
“I know that I have made some poor decisions as they relate to my personal life that do not line up with who I am or what I believe,” Gamrat said.
She said that her relationship with Courser is now “professional.”
“Although I am not proud of my personal conduct, in regards to my position as state representative of the 80th district, I believe that an open and honest investigation will vindicate me,” Gamrat said.
She said she had not decided whether she will resign, and that she is “leaving all the options on the table.”
Watch the press conference:
