SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE JILL KROWINSKI STATEMENT ON LEGISLATIVE ACTION TO HOLD FRANKLIN COUNTY OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE
Montpelier, VT - Earlier today, Speaker of the House, Rep. Jill Krowinski addressed reporters and the public in the Lincoln Hall of the State House today.
“Good Afternoon,
“In recent months, we have heard from the people of Franklin County, who are demanding that the legislature take action to address the misconduct of Franklin County Sheriff John Grismore, who was charged with assault and has repeatedly refused to step down. Most recently, we have received requests to hold the Franklin County State’s Attorney, John Lavoie, accountable for his actions after multiple substantiated allegations of harassment and discriminatory conduct came to light. The people of Franklin County deserve justice and elected officials who they can trust to uphold the rule of law and represent their community with integrity.
“As we consulted with our legal counsel on this issue, it became clear that our options for holding elected sheriffs and state’s attorneys accountable are limited. With that said, the legislature does have the authority to step in on behalf of our communities to investigate elected officials when misconduct or a crime has been committed, and the integrity of their office is in jeopardy. These are rare circumstances, and we do not take them lightly.
“After extensive conversations with Representative Mike McCarthy, Chair of the House Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee, Representative Martin LaLonde, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, and other House and Senate members - I have decided to take action and initiate the first step of an investigative process for both Sheriff Grismore and States’ Attorney Lavoie that could result in impeachment. Despite the calls from Franklin County residents for them to resign, these two individuals have refused to do so which has shaken the public’s trust in their respective offices.
“This investigative process requires extensive research and review of the facts presented, and will require many steps before a conclusion is made. Today, we begin this process with the introduction of a House Resolution requiring that a special committee of seven bi-partisan members be created for the sole purpose of investigating the allegations in these two cases. This will occur today at 3:00pm when we start our afternoon session, and the resolution will be referred to the Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs. The House Government Operations and Military Affairs and Judiciary Committees will then hold a joint hearing on the resolution tomorrow.
“We take this responsibility seriously, and we will ensure that justice is served and the process is fair, thorough, and transparent. The people of Franklin County and all of Vermont deserve nothing less. Again, the introduction of the resolution today is the first step in a comprehensive process and I will make sure to keep Vermonters updated as the process unfolds.”
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