LANSING, Mich. — Former Michigan state representative Todd Courser is responding to the criminal charges brought on by Attorney General Bill Schuette on Friday, calling them “nonsensical” and “political.”
Courser, who was representing the Lapeer area before his resignation, issued this statement on Facebook, a day after Attorney General Bill Schuette charged him with perjury and misconduct in office.
These baseless criminal charges are political in nature and have come at a time to take heat off the misconduct of others. After months and months of investigation, spending tens of thousands of your dollars, and claiming that Todd Courser misused taxpayer funds, Attorney General Schuette has charged him with a nonsensical claim of perjury and three counts of misconduct under a rarely used and vague “catchall” statute. MCL 750.505. None of the charges involve the alleged misuse of taxpayer funds, which was the claimed reason for the House investigation. It was during this House investigation that Todd Courser was held under House arrest, without due process or equal protection, and without the ability to review the charges or question witnesses.
Attorney General Schuette says, “No one is beyond the reach of the law”; yet there have been no charges brought against the proper parties who engaged in extortion, wiretapping, stalking, conspiracy, and multiple other felonies. These charges come against Todd Courser after the Michigan State Police Investigation has now shown that the extortion texts were genuine. Todd Courser will continue to defend himself against these baseless and unconstitutional charges. He is confident that the truth will come out and that these baseless charges will be shown to be just another extension of corrupt government.
Courser and former state representative from Plainwell, Cindy Gamrat, are each facing multiple counts relating to the email sex scandal that cost the representatives their positions. Gamrat was expelled, but their legal troubles are tied to their attempt to cover it up.
Courser faces one charge of felony perjury and three counts of misconduct in office, while Gamrat faces two counts of misconduct in office.
Courser says the charges against him are “just another extension of corrupt government.”
Attorney General Bill Schuette announced the charges on Friday.
Both Courser and Gamrat have been contacted through their attorneys and have been offered the chance to turn themselves in to State Police. They will be arraigned shortly after that.
