The other half of an alleged affair in the Michigan Statehouse that resulted in a bizarre fake email about soliciting a male prostitute broke her silence on Friday — tearfully apologizing and denying any knowledge of the scheme.
Michigan state Rep. Cindy Gamrat spoke with the media for the first time since one of her fellow lawmakers, state Rep. Todd Courser, released a rambling 27-minute audio file apologizing for sending out an email under a pseudonym fabricating a story he solicited a male prostitute, apparently in an attempt to provide cover for an affair he was having with Gamrat.
Though neither Courser nor Gamrat have confirmed the affair, Courser apologized to her and her family in the message and both said they have been working through the issues privately with their spouses and children.
“I want to apologize for the negative attention this has brought, for that I am truly sorry,” Gamrat said Friday, fighting tears throughout her news conference at a law firm. “I am sincerely sorry that I have disappointed so many by my actions.”
But Gamrat said Friday she would not resign, and said she was confident an investigation into her actions would clear her of any wrongdoing.
She did, however, thank those who have called on her to resign, and said she’s still leaving “all options on the table.”
“I respect the opinion of those that would like me to resign,” Gamrat said. “For now, I believe that the best path is for me to move forward and I intend to continue to represent my district to the best of my ability.”
The saga began with a report last week from The Detroit News that audio recordings revealed Courser had fabricated the email and that Courser and Gamrat used their offices to try to cover up the affair.
Gamrat denied all wrongdoing and any involvement in the email — which she called “in poor taste.”
“I did not author or assist in sending the email in question,” she said.
She also did not discuss the alleged blackmail scheme that provoked Courser to send the email, which he described in detail on the recording and accused former staffers of being behind it.
As for her current relationship with Courser, Gamrat described it as “professional.”