Vermont Lawmaker Resigns Over Leak

Rob Mullins

Copy Editor

Vermont state senator Sam Douglass announced his resignation two weeks ago, after incendiary messages in a GOP-affiliated group chat were leaked by Politico. Douglass was the chair of the  Vermont Young Republicans and was the only elected official in the chat, which included staffers in other states.

Other officials worked in the offices of New York’s senate minority leader, and the Kansas attorney general, according to Politico. The leaked chats have been denounced by prominent Democrats in New York and nationally, including Gov. Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

In his resignation statement, Douglass apologized for his remarks in the chat, which he called “an unflattering remark about a specific individual, absolutely not a generalization.” Douglass also documented the violent and hateful messages that constituents sent targeting himself and his wife, who had just given birth to their first child after a lengthy struggle with fertility issues.

The hateful messages included death threats directed at Douglass’s wife and children, the majority of which came from Vermont citizens. Douglass decided to resign out of concern for his own safety, combined with calls for his resignation by Republican Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont.

Party officials on both sides of the aisle were quick to demand the resignations of all involved in what Vermont Republicans in a joint statement called “unacceptable and deeply disturbing” messages. The messages and the vitriolic response from voters comes at a time of heightened political tensions on both sides.

Many who were happy to witness Senator Douglass resign were denouncing right-wing efforts to expose those who publicly celebrated the death of Charlie Kirk. One user on X, @ParkerThayer documented a “trophy case” of people whose comments were screenshotted, leading to them being fired from their jobs.

These ongoing exchanges of leaked screenshots show no signs of ending soon. The situation highlights ongoing concerns about the intensity of political rhetoric and the need for greater attention to operational security.