Chittenden County State’s Attorney T.J. Donovan says he’s “troubled” by an allegation of sexual assault in the Vermont National Guard and plans to look into the matter.
But given the anonymous nature of the accusation — in an unsigned letter shared with state legislators — and the length of time since the alleged incident, he’s unsure whether his office will be able to launch a formal investigation.
“It’s an interesting dilemma given the lack of a complaint to law enforcement, which would trigger an investigation,” Donovan said Thursday. “At the same time, we’re looking at a situation where we may have a sexual predator living in our community.”
Donovan was referring to allegations made in an anonymous letter claiming that a senior Guard officer sexually assaulted another Guard member in December 2007. The letter further claimed that two other senior Guard officers — retired Brig. Gen. Jonathan Farnham and acting Adj. Gen. Thomas Drew — were made aware of the alleged assault and did not report it to civilian law enforcement authorities.
The letter, provided to Rep. George Till (D-Jericho) two weeks ago, prompted Farnham on Monday to withdraw from the race to become the state’s next adjutant general. Citing privacy constraints, neither Farnham nor Drew have been able to provide their side of the story, though Farnham disputed the letter’s account in a written statement.
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The Vermont Guard should not be allowed to act like the Diocese of Vermont. Any Sexual assault charge should be fully investigated. If there was a cover-up and the perp transferred heads should roll. Go get them Donovan.