There’s a House of Cards-esque story out of Lansing this morning, as a high profile affair involving two Michigan State Representatives has surfaced thanks to this audio recording captured by his aide, and released by The Detroit News.
The recording reveals that Republican State Representative, Todd Courser (R-Lapeer), had crafted and intended to release an email to cover up an affair between him and fellow lawmaker with whom he had merged legislative office operations with, Rep. Cindy Gamrat (R-Plainwell).
The email, which Courser reads in its entirety in the recording, depicts a scenario in which Courser is caught having sex with a male prostitute outside of a club in Lansing.
The 43 year-old State Rep says on the recording that the email would act as a “a complete smear campaign,” aiming to create a scenario so bombastic that it would overshadow and discredit the allegations of an affair between he and the 42 year-old Gamrat.
The aide, clearly blown away by his absurd plan, sits mystified as Courser says, “I need a controlled burn. “I need it to be over the top.” The aide, who at first seems to be reluctantly willing to help, eventually says, “Are you kidding me, that’s ridiculous.”
“You could just quit, you know,” to which Courser replies, “I might have to.”
The married father of four says on the recording that his family is still in the dark about the whole situation, while Gamrat, a mother of three, had confessed to her husband who according to her house website was her high school sweetheart.
The pair was brought into office by appealing to the Tea Party movement of the Republican Party. On Courser’s Campaign website, he cites over and over again his devout Christian beliefs and how they’re key to governing.
House Speaker Kevin Cotter said in a statement Friday that he wants to conduct an investigation to determine if any House rules were broken or if there was any illegal behavior.
Neither Courser or Gamrat have commented publicly on the situation.