The weirdest story you will read today is the saga of Michigan Republicans Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat and the gay sex orgy that never was.

The two politicians had made names for themselves by pushing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, fighting to stop marriage equality and block nondiscrimination measures as “promoting evil.” But behind the scenes, they were having an affair, unbeknownst to their spouses and children.

Fearing that the truth was about to come out, Courser asked his aide, Ben Graham, to create a distraction. Courser told Graham to send out a mass email accusing the politician of having “male on male paid for sex behind a prominent Lansing nightclub” and claiming that Courser was “a bi-sexual porn addicted sex deviant” and a “godless addicted monster.”

The goal, according to Courser, was to manufacture a fake survivable scandal, so that if evidence of the real affair emerged it would seem less credible.

Graham refused and instead secretly audio recorded Courser’s request before leaking it to media.

Bill Schuette, then the Attorney General of Michigan, levied numerous charges at Courser for the scheme, and last week Courser pled no contest to one count of willful neglect of duty by a public officer. Perjury charges are still pending. He could face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Even before the truth about the affair came out, Courser and Gamrat were known for their unusual working relationship. Elected in 2014, they merged their offices and staff and essentially worked as if they were co-Representatives, an unheard-of arrangement.

Following the scandal and the fake news about a gay orgy, Courser initially refused to resign, saying it’s what his enemies would want. Eventually he reversed course and stepped down.

Gamrat had to be removed from her office by the Michigan House on a 91-to-12 vote.

Both ran for re-election and lost.

Another curious detail of the whole debacle is that Cindy Gamrat’s husband, Joe, attempted to blackmail Courser. Cindy alleged that her husband had conducted secret monitoring of her electronic communications, as well as physically following her and planting surveillance equipment around her home and workplace.

With this week’s plea deal, the entire strange situation moves one step closer to resolution, and all parties involved may eventually go on with their lives. From the sound of things, they probably deserve each other.

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