NEWPORT –– Vermont state Sen. Sam Douglass issued a statement Wednesday denouncing offensive messages in a Young Republican group chat but stopped short of resigning despite calls from Gov. Phil Scott and Republican legislative leaders to step down.
Douglass said he was unaware of racist and antisemitic comments exchanged in the Telegram chat and described his participation as limited to procedural discussions about bylaws and strategy.
“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,” Douglass said. “There were often periods of multiple days when I didn’t check this group chat and I was unfortunately unaware of those comments.”
A Politico investigation published Tuesday revealed that Douglass and about a dozen other Young Republican leaders from four states exchanged messages over seven months that included more than 251 instances of racial and homophoric slurs, along with violent rhetoric and antisemitic remarks.
The report documented one instance where Douglass made a derogatory comment about a woman’s hygiene. In another exchange, his wife Brianna Douglass, who serves as Vermont Young Republicans’ national committee member, made a comment about a Jewish colleague.
Douglass said the comment attributed to him “was not a generalization and doesn’t represent my views or character.” He did not address his wife’s remarks.
“I should’ve been more vigilant, more careful, and less naive about who I associate with and my digital environments,” he said. “I will continue to call out this behavior whenever I see it.”
Gov. Scott called Monday for Douglass to resign, saying the messages were “disgusting and unacceptable.” Vermont’s four top Republican legislative leaders echoed that demand, calling the remarks “inconsistent with Vermont values.”
Douglass, who represents Orleans County, said he is “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.”
He promised another statement before the end of the week.
The scandal has had national repercussions. One Kansas participant lost his job with the state attorney general, while another member had a New York congressional campaign job offer rescinded. Several participants, including the chat’s organizer Peter Giunta of New York, have apologized while some questioned whether messages were altered.
