Vermont state Senator Sam Douglass has resigned following intense pressure from top Republicans after being implicated in a racist Young Republican group chat. The chat, which included messages targeting minorities, led to calls for his resignation, with Governor Phil Scott condeming the content. Douglass stated he will act on his governor’s request and that his resignation will take effect on Monday.
The chat included messages from other officials, including New York’s state senate minority leader and Kansas attorney general, as well as a former employee of President Trump’s Small Business Administration. Douglass apologized for the chat, stating he was ‘weighing all my options’ after the story broke. He cited the hateful messages he received and vowed to continue helping his community. His resignation comes as at least six others in the chat are out of jobs since POLITICO began reporting on the exchanges.
Douglass was a first-year lawmaker and said Friday he was proud to pass his first bill on agriculture and begin his work to reform the state’s welfare system.
‘I will continue to do what I have done my entire life, the very reasons why I was elected; I will help others in my community, be active, foster communication, and look out for others,’ he said.