Rep. Cindy Gamrat (file photo)
One thing for sure, state Rep. Cindy Gamrat is learning a lot about how Lansing operates.
A special committee voted to expel her and her partner in crime, Rep. Todd Courser, on Thursday morning. The vote now goes before the full House.
She says that she thought she had a deal with House Republicans to accept blame for the allegations in the House Business Office report in exchange for censure, Kathleen Gray of the Detroit Free Press reports.
But noooo. Gamrat sugges she was misled by her own party. Imagine that.
"Friday afternoon I had a meeting with the speaker's counsel and I was given a statement and was told that if you don't sign this statement, it's going to be ugly... If you sign it, this is what the committee needs for censure," Gamrat said. "There were no promises in the deal, but it was clear."
Gamrat read a statement to the committee on Tuesday, apologized and asked for censure.
Gray reports:
Gideon D'Assandro, spokesman for Speaker of the House Kevin Cotter, R-Mt. Pleasant, said Gamrat was told that the House counsel Brock Swartzle was already prepared to recommend a censure for Gamrat, "but there was absolutely no quid pro quo.
"The question was asked, 'Would the committee look favorably on this' and we said, probably yes," D'Assandro said. "But there was no deal made. There was never any deal made."
