Vermont state Sen. Sam Douglass announced his resignation on Friday following pressure from Republican leaders over his participation in a hate-filled Young Republican group chat. The chat, uncovered by POLITICO, included racist messages, leading to job losses for several members. Douglass cited family safety and his duty to set a good example in his decision to step down.
Vermont state Sen. Sam Douglass, who represented an area near the Canadian border, revealed his resignation in a statement after POLITICO reported on his involvement in a Telegram group chat filled with hate speech. As the only elected official in the chat, Douglass faced intense calls to step down from top Republicans, including Governor Phil Scott and GOP leaders in the state House and Senate.
Douglass initially resisted the pressure. One day after POLITICO's initial story, he apologized, stating, “I am weighing all my options.” However, he ultimately yielded, saying, “if my Governor asks me to do something, I will act, because I believe in what he’s trying to do.” His resignation takes effect Monday at noon.
In the chat, Douglass made derogatory remarks, including referring to an Indian woman as someone who “just didn’t bathe often.” His wife, Brianna Douglass, a Vermont Young Republican national committee member, commented that her husband may have erred by “expecting the Jew to be honest.” Douglass served as chair of Vermont’s Young Republicans, and four other chat members worked for officials like New York’s state senate minority leader and Kansas’s attorney general; one was in President Donald Trump’s Small Business Administration.
The scandal has led to at least six others in the chat losing their jobs. Douglass, a first-year lawmaker, noted receiving hateful messages since the story broke and reaching out to Jewish and BIPOC friends and colleagues. He expressed pride in passing his first bill on agriculture and starting welfare reform work, adding, “I will continue to do what I have done my entire life... I will help others in my community, be active, foster communication, and look out for others.” He also mentioned keeping his family safe amid the political climate.