Facing Calls to Resign, Douglass Says He Is Weighing Options

Updated at 8:40 p.m.

Sen. Sam Douglass (R-Orleans) broke his silence on Wednesday afternoon, more than 24 hours after an explosive Politico article revealed his participation in a racist group chat among Young Republican leaders across the country.

Douglass claimed to be unaware of comments that others had made in the thread and denounced the leaked messages, which contained jokes about gas chambers, rape and slavery.

Douglass participated in the group chat on at least two separate occasions, according to messages published by Politico.

In one text exchange, according to Politico, the former chair of the New York State Young Republicans, Peter Giunta, wrote that a woman who dated some members of the chat “was not Indian” after the woman was described by another member as being “very obese.”

“She just didn’t bathe often,” Douglass replied, according to the outlet.

On Wednesday, Douglass addressed that statement, writing: “The comment attributed to me in the article was not a generalization and doesn’t represent my views or character.”

Politico also described another instance involving Douglass’ wife, Brianna Douglass, who is a Vermont Young Republicans’ national committee member. According to Politico, Sen. Douglass described how a Jewish colleague of the chair of the Young Republican National Federation may have made a procedural error related to the number of Maryland delegates permitted at the national convention.

“I was about to say you’re giving nationals to [sic] much credit and expecting the Jew to be honest,” Brianna Douglass replied, according to Politico.

A dozen young Republicans sent more than 2,900 pages of text messages containing racist, antisemitic and misogynistic rhetoric between early January and mid-August of this year, according to Politico.

Douglass did not say he would resign, despite growing calls — including some from fellow Republicans — for him to do so. Republican Gov. Phil Scott and Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth (D/P-Chittenden-Central) have both called for him to relinquish his office, as have the Republican minority leaders in the House and Senate.

Seven Days reached seven of Douglass’ 12 Republican Senate colleagues on Wednesday, and each said they believed that Douglass should step down, some making the case more forcefully than others. A few said they want confirmation of the text messages’ veracity, however.

Several senators took issue with a statement released by Vermont GOP chair Paul Dame on Wednesday that calls the Young Republicans group chat “shocking and grotesque” but states that the comments attributed to Douglass “were not bigoted or racist.”

On Wednesday night, the Vermont Republican Party Executive Committee condemned the “hateful, racist, and antisemitic” chat, called for Douglass to resign immediately, and also said it was retracting Dame’s earlier statement. “The VTGOP Executive Committee unanimously supports this statement and issues a full, complete retraction of the previously issued statement by Chairman Paul Dame,” reads the statement — an extraordinary public rebuke.

Earlier Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Scott Beck (R-Caledonia) said he believed the message attributed to Douglass “was a racist comment.”

Sen. Russ Ingalls (R-Essex), who is running against Dame to become chair of the Vermont Republican Party, said he supports the governor’s call for Douglass to step down immediately.

“There’s no gray area,” Ingalls said.

Ingalls and six Republican state representatives from the Northeast Kingdom released a statement calling for Douglass to resign from his Senate seat and as chair of the Orleans County Republican Party.

“These comments have no place within our society as a whole and will not be tolerated,” their statement says.

Sen. Randy Brock (R-Franklin), meanwhile, said Douglass should resign “provided there’s a confirmation that he said what Politico reported.”

Sen. Patrick Brennan (R-Grand Isle) told Seven Days that “if what they’re saying happened, I condemn that wholeheartedly.” And Sen. Terry Williams (R-Rutland) said, “If he did what he is accused of doing, he should resign,” while still noting that people are innocent until proven guilty.

Sen. Steven Heffernan (R-Addison) said he believed everyone has made “derogatory statements” at some point in their life but that Douglass had been “dumb” and “foolish” for participating in the chat.

Douglass’ best move would be to resign, Heffernan said. “He’s put himself in a tough position.”

Sen. Chris Mattos (R-Chittenden-North) said the contents of the chat, as a whole, represent “unacceptable behavior.”

There is little precedent for removing state senators from office in Vermont. The Senate is allowed to expel its own members, but the Vermont Constitution does not detail a process for doing so.

In 2016, the Senate voted to suspend then-senator Norm McAllister after he was arrested and charged with three felony counts of sexual assault and three misdemeanor counts of prohibited acts. McAllister was eventually acquitted.

Secretary of the Senate John Bloomer said senators have options on how to proceed if Douglass does not heed calls to resign. An ethics complaint could be filed against Douglass and would be reviewed by the Senate Ethics Panel, a standing committee chaired by Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D-Chittenden-Southeast). Sens. Brock, Thomas Chittenden (D-Chittenden-Southeast), Larry Hart (R-Orange) and Tanya Vyhovsky (P/D-Chittenden-Central) also serve on the panel.

Unlike its counterpart in the House, which posts a summary of each complaint and outcome online, the Senate Ethics Panel does not have to release any information about its work.

Senate leaders could also take steps to strip Douglass of his committee assignments, as they did with McAllister shortly after he was arrested. Douglass currently serves on the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare, the Senate Committee on Institutions, the Senate Sexual Harassment Prevention Panel, and the Canvassing Committee.

The decision to remove Douglass’ assignments is up to the three members of the Senate’s Committee on Committees: Baruth, Sen. Ginny Lyons (D-Chittenden-Southeast) and Republican Lt. Gov. John Rodgers.

Baruth and Lyons also serve on the Senate Rules Committee, alongside Ram Hinsdale, Beck and Sen. Brian Collamore (R-Rutland), which can vote to recommend suspending a fellow senator. McAllister is the only Senator in modern state history to have been suspended.

Ultimately, a simple majority vote on a resolution in the full Senate could suspend Douglass from exercising the powers of his office, Bloomer said. Douglass would still be eligible to receive legislative pay during his suspension.

A vote to suspend Douglass, however, would have to wait until the legislature reconvenes in January.

Here is the full text of the statement that Douglass released on Wednesday:

“I completely denounce and fully condemn the vile and disgusting comments included in the POLITICO article and I have cut all ties with those involved. My role in the group chat in question was a procedural one about bylaws and floor strategy. There were often periods of multiple days when I didn’t check this group chat and I was unfortunately unaware of those comments. I should’ve been more vigilant, more careful, and less naive about who I associate with and my digital environments. I will continue to call out this behavior whenever I see it. The comment attributed to me in the article was not a generalization and doesn’t represent my views or character. I apologize so deeply to my constituents and colleagues that our county and state have been dragged into this. I am currently weighing all my options to ensure that the outcome of this is what’s best for the safety and wellbeing of my family and my constituency, and I will make another statement before the end of the week.”