State Sen. Sam Douglass (R-Orleans) announced Friday he will resign, effective Monday at noon, after bigoted comments he and his wife made in a Young Republicans group chat were leaked to Politico earlier this week. In a statement, Douglass apologized for the "offense" his comments caused and cited threats to his family's safety as a factor in his decision.
The leaked messages, reported by Politico on Tuesday, included Douglass writing about a mutual friend's romantic partner, remarking that "she just didn't bathe often" after another user referred to the woman as an "obese Indian." In another exchange, Douglass' wife, Brianna Douglass, wrote of a Jewish colleague: "You're giving nationals too much credit and expecting the Jew to be honest." The chat also contained references to rape as "epic" and expressions of "love" for Hitler.
Gov. Phil Scott led calls for Douglass' immediate resignation, joined by Republican legislative leadership and other police across the political spectrum. Vermont GOP Chair Paul Dame initially said Douglass' comments were not bigoted, but the party's executive committee later distanced itself, issuing a statement that condemned the messages and joined the call for Douglass to step down.
Vice President J.D. Vance, in an interview this week, characterized the leaked messages as "stupid jokes made by kids."
Originally reported by VTDigger.
Photo: Mariya Eskina via Pexels. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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