Cindy Gamrat (née Bauer; born June 15, 1973) is a former Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives, representing the 80th district. She was first elected in 2014, after playing a leading role in organizing the Tea Party movement in Michigan. She engaged in an extramarital affair with fellow Representative Todd Courser, and was expelled from the House in September 2015 for using taxpayer resources in an attempt to cover up the affair.
Cindy Gamrat | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 80th district | |
| In office January 1, 2015 – September 11, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Robert Genetski |
| Succeeded by | Mary Whiteford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cindy Bauer June 15, 1973[1] Warren, Michigan[1] |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Joe Gamrat (div. 2017) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence | Plainwell, Michigan |
| Profession | Nurse |
Political career
editTea Party organizing activity
editGamrat became a Tea Party organizer after moving to Michigan in 2010. [2] Shortly after moving, she founded Plainwell Patriots Tea Party and in 2011 founded Michigan 4 Conservative Senate.[3]
In 2011, Gamrat was leader of the Plainwell Patriots Tea Party which hosted a United States Senate candidate forum on November 22 of that year. The event featured Cornerstone Schools executive Clark Durant, former Kent County Judge Randy Hekman, libertarian activist Scotty Boman of Detroit, Gary Glenn of Midland, president of the American Family Association of Michigan, and Roscommon businessman Peter Konetchy.[4]
Michigan 4 Conservative Senate, also founded by Gamrat, was patterned after successful efforts by Indiana tea party groups that rallied behind Richard Mourdock as the tea party challenger to Republican U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar. In Michigan, she organized more than 50 tea party groups, under the name Michigan 4 Conservative Senate (MI4CS), to try to avoid dispersing tea party clout in a field crowded with conservatives.[5] In addition to coordinating forums by tea party groups around the state, MI4CS organized a candidate forum at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant Michigan on January 14, 2012. The forum preceded a convention of Michigan tea party groups that would decide which of the participating candidates they would support. Clark Durant, Randy Hekman, Scotty Boman, Chuck Marino and Gary Glenn participated, while Peter Konetchy, Rick Wilson, and former Congressman Pete Hoekstra chose not to.[5]
Michigan House of Representatives
editWith incumbent Bob Genetski unable to run for reelection due to term limits,[6] Gamrat ran for election to the Michigan House of Representatives for the 80th district in the 2014 elections on a platform focused on leadership and self-described "family values",[7] while identifying as part of the Tea Party Movement.[8][9] Gamrat defeated Geoff Parker of the Democratic Party and Arnis Davidsons of the Libertarian Party in the general election.[6]
In April 2015, Gamrat was permanently removed from the Michigan House's Republican Party caucus for violating their confidentiality rules with a Facebook post.[8] The Detroit News published audio recordings on August 7, 2015, in which fellow Michigan Representative Todd Courser asked staff to create a rumor that he had sex with a male prostitute in order to distract from the affair he was having with Gamrat.[10] Kevin Cotter, the Speaker of the Michigan House, initiated an investigation into their use of public funds to cover up their affair.[11] She was found guilty of inappropriate behavior and expelled from the Michigan House on September 11, becoming the fourth lawmaker to be expelled from the legislature in Michigan history. Courser resigned before the House could pass a resolution to expel him.[12]
Gamrat filed paperwork with the Allegan County Clerk to become a candidate in the special election to fill her former seat.[13] She received 9% of the vote in the primary election, finishing in third place.[14]
Gamrat was charged with two felony counts of official misconduct for her role in the scandal on February 26, 2016, by Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, which comes with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.[15] On June 14, 2016, Lansing District Judge Hugh Clarke Jr. ruled that there is not enough probable cause for Gamrat to face felony misconduct in office charges.[16]
Personal life
editGamrat is a nurse[17] from Plainwell, Michigan.[8] She and her ex-husband, Joe,[7] have three children, Paige, Joseph, and Meghan, whom they have homeschooled.[17] Joe was accused of sending Cindy and Courser mysterious text messages during their affair, but was later cleared of any wrongdoing with no charges filed.[18] She filed for divorce on August 3, 2016.[19]
References
edit- ^ a b "Legislator Details - Legislators". Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
- ^ "Rep. Cindy Gamrat's past, present and future in politics is hot topic of discussion". MLive.com. August 13, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ "Cindy Gamrat wins GOP nomination for state House in the 80th District". MLive.com. August 6, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ US Senate Debate - Michigan (1).m4v. YouTube. November 22, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ a b "Michigan tea partiers seek consensus Senate pick". MLive.com. January 14, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ a b "2014 election results: Republican Cindy Gamrat wins 80th District state House seat". MLive.com. November 5, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
- ^ a b Alex Shabad, WZZM (August 7, 2015). "Neighbors react to Rep. Gamrat's alleged sex scandal". WZZM 13 News. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Tea party state Rep. Cindy Gamrat kicked from House Republican caucus". MLive.com. April 17, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
- ^ "Alliance between three Tea Party newcomers in Lansing now down to two". MLive.com. June 17, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
- ^ Chad Livengood, Detroit News Lansing Bureau (August 7, 2015). "Recordings: State rep asked aide to hide relationship". Detroit News. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
- ^ Paul Egan and Kathleen Gray (August 7, 2015). "House speaker: Investigate lawmakers for reportedly covering up affair". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
- ^ "Todd Courser resigns, Cindy Gamrat expelled from Michigan House in wake of sex scandal". MLive.com. September 11, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ "Expelled Rep. Gamrat files to run for the seat she lost". Detroit Free Press. September 17, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
- ^ "Todd Courser, Cindy Gamrat Fail in Michigan Comeback Bids for GOP". NBC News. The Associated Press. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
- ^ Chad Livengood (February 26, 2016). "Schuette plans criminal charges for Courser, Gamrat". Detroit News. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
- ^ Bob Brenzing (June 14, 2016). "Former West Mich. representative Cindy Gamrat cleared of charges, Courser to stand trial". FOX 17. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
- ^ a b Livengood, Chad (January 19, 2015). "3 firebrands could test fellow GOP lawmakers". The Detroit News. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
- ^ Gray, Kathleen (November 16, 2015). "Gamrat husband ID'd as person who sent Courser texts". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ Whitmer, Caleb (August 16, 2016). "Cindy Gamrat files for divorce". The Holland Sentinel. Retrieved June 11, 2024.