LANSING (AP) - The Michigan appeals court says there's no legal protection for a former lawmaker who is charged with perjury related to a sex scandal that forced him to quit in 2015.
The state constitution grants immunity to lawmakers for certain acts of official business. But the appeals court says it doesn't apply in this case to Todd Courser.
Courser is charged with lying to a House committee that was investigating him, specifically when he testified about whether he had ordered staff to forge his signature on documents. He was also accused of using state resources to cover up an affair with another lawmaker, Cindy Gamrat.
In a 3-0 opinion Tuesday, the court says Courser was testifying about his fitness for office, not legislative business, and gets no immunity.
Courser, a Republican from Lapeer, resigned from the House, while Gamrat, a Republican from Allegan County, was expelled.
Published: Fri, Oct 26, 2018
