Scandalized Former Lawmakers Want Their Seats Back
Could former lawmakers Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat reclaim their seats?
Michigan House of Representatives chamber.
Scandalized former Republican state House lawmakers Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat face local elections to reclaim their seats tomorrow. Last week the Michigan State Police Department sent its investigation into the email-and-text sex scandal to the prosecutor for possible charges. Courser claimed he was blackmailed months ago by an unknown source to resign or face public humiliation over his affair with Gamrat.
MLive political reporter Jonathan Oosting has been following the story and joins Detroit Today host Stephen Henderson to discuss the latest.
Conspiracy: Courser says that he is being framed by an unknown party for the text messages, and he says the investigation will vindicate him of wrongdoing with the text messages.
Name Recognition: Oosting says the short window of time afforded to candidates for the two House seats open in this special election may stymie the ability of some wealthier campaigns to claim victory. In that sense, Oosting says Courser and Gamrat have an advantage by being in the news a lot recently. “Name recognition goes a long way,” Oosting says.
Drama: Reelecting Gamrat and Courser could be a distraction for Republican leaders in the House, says Oosting. “If they do get reelected, we could have more drama where the House [members] may decide not to seat them,” Oosting says.
To hear more of their conversation, click the link above.
