Tea Partiers Behind Fake Gay Sex Scandal Now Out of Work

Two Michigan state representatives are out of work after concocting a phony gay sex scandal to cover up their love affair, then allegedly firing an assistant who refused to abide by their plan.

Todd Courser resigned and Cindy Gamrat was removed from her position by House members today in Lansing. Courser only quit after it became clear he was being expelled, while Gamrat still says her behavior was deserving only of censure, according to Talking Points Memo.

Before news of the affair broke last month in the Detroit News, the politicians -- both parents and both married to opposite-sex partners -- knew their outing was imminent. So they created a bizarre story about Courser being caught with a male prostitute, even sending out an anonymous press release that referred to Courser as a "godless addicted monster." Both Courser and Gamrat are Tea Party Republicans with antigay records; Courser even introduced three bills to prevent same-sex marriage in his state and declared himself an "unequivocal" supporter of "traditional marriage."

Courser and Gamrat later claimed the bogus prostitute story was an attempt to expose blackmailers, but audio of the politicians obtained by the Detroit News shows they also believed the gay sex scandal would deflect news of their affair.

The politicians' staffers told them the scheme was a bad idea, and two employees were allegedly fired for refusing to take part.

The Detroit News also reported other misdeeds by Courser and Gamrat, including the fact that they combined their offices and staff, even though they served two different districts not near each other.