Marquette, MI – (Great Lakes Radio News) – State Representative John Kivela says the behavior of former Representatives Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat has been an “international embarrassment” to the State House and he is glad they no longer in office.
Following a marathon session on the House floor in Lansing, legislative leaders reached an agreement around 3:00 a.m. today to expel Courser, but he submitted a letter of resignation instead, avoiding a formal expulsion.
An hour later, Gamrat was expelled by a vote of 91-12 for misusing taxpayer resources to cover up an extramarital affair the two were having.
Kivela, in an interview this morning with Great Lakes Radio News Director Walt Lindala, said he was anxious to expel both of the former lawmakers as soon as possible and is now ready for the House to put the matter behind them.
He added that although Courser and Gamrat’s actions caused plenty of damage, those truly hurt in the scandal were the 180,000 constituents that were not being served.
Kivela says the sooner special elections can be held get those people effectively represented, the better.
