Jason Herron a candidate for the Vermont house in Windham 1 sent this letter to the AG’s office and asked that we would republish it to bring some light to the situation:
Good Morning Sara,
My campaign was self-funded using only my own savings. I’ve attached several documents to this email including the exchange between myself and the Secretary of States Office, which discusses my campaign’s financial report. I believe that email exchange explains the situation best. I hope those communications satisfy your inquiries.
Please note that Charles Light (who was concerned about my campaign finances) was appointed by Zon Eastes to Guilford’s Planning Commission (PC) and currently sits as the Secretary of that commission. I have been critical of the sudden firing of Guilford’s previous PC and the appointments of the new members. Zon is the selectboard’s liaison to the PC and orchestrated the firing of the previous members and the appointment of Charles.
With that stated, I would like to address the election day press release where the Windham County and Vermont State Democrat Party accused me of sending anonymous letters. (Please see PDF titled “WCDC & VDP Statement on Windham-1 Election Interference”)
This press release falsely stated that “it is clear to us that criminal election interference has been committed in this race by the sender of these anonymous letters. We join Windham County voters in calling on law enforcement to take election crimes such as these seriously and to ensure there is accountability.”
To be crystal clear, I’ve never sent an anonymous letter to anyone, ever. Notwithstanding that fact, the Democrat party continues with the claim that “despite criminal interference on his behalf, Democratic and Independent voters in Guilford and Vernon will reject MAGA extremist Jason Herron.”
This press release convicted me of criminal interference without any consideration for due process. I also do not support “MAGA extremism,” I publicly endorsed Kennedy while I was campaigning. Those words were used with the intent to spark hostility and divisiveness. (Please note that Charles light used the word “MAGA extremist” in his letter of concern about my campaign ledger)
The election day press release continues, “we are deeply concerned that these violations may be just the latest in a string of unethical and even illegal actions taken by far-right candidate Jason Herron. Criminal election interference has been committed in this race by the sender of these anonymous letters.”
What are the latest strings of unethical or illegal actions are they speaking of? What is far right about promoting food security and our environment as I had been campaigning on for months? Adding the sentence that Criminal election interference has been committed implies that I must have been justly convicted which invokes more fear that other offenses have occurred. That is outright slander and fear mongering.
The election laws this Press Release claims I broke reference a mass media event (anonymous letter) where candidate Eastes is identified without his notification. I never sent any anonymous letter to anyone at any point in my life, never mind during this election. The mass media event I did mail was appropriately notified to the SOS Office as you can see in the email exchange I attached.
The only other person who would have to notify the Secretary of States Office of such a mass media event would have been Zon.
Instead of reporting their “press release” as a mass media event, they accused me of doing exactly what they did themselves. An anonymous spokesperson from Zon’s campaign influenced the Vermont Democrat party to send a slander-filled mass media event on Zon’s behalf. This press release invoked my name and lied about me with the sole intent of influencing the election. The motive was to discourage citizens from voting for me while simultaneously encouraging them to vote for my opponent.
The kicker here is their media event was a report of lies, what did the anonymous letter, they accused me of sending, report?
In this case, the Democrat party sent out a slander-filled mass media event accusing me of being a far-right wing MAGA extremist on the day of the election and justified it by falsely stating “it is clear” that I wrote an anonymous letter.
How is that not election interference? Who orchestrated the press release?
I am convinced that the Guilford Nonprofit organization titled the “Friends of Algiers Village” composed this scheme. However, not even a fool would be foolish enough to lose their nonprofit status by officially endorsing a candidate as a 501c3. With that said, let these facts be presented.
– The Friends of Algiers Village Nonprofit –
The Friends of Algiers “Filed Purpose” reads: The preservation, conservation, and enjoyment of the natural and human resources of the Village of Algiers in Guilford, Vermont. It shall seek to enable the residents of the Village to live in harmony with their natural environment and with their fellow citizens by buying, selling, and holding land and properties, including housing, and by education.
“Friends” who have publicly donated to Zon’s Campaign
Anne Rider / President of the Friends. Anne was a former Guilford Selectboard Chairwoman who resigned in the middle of her term. Anne is also the Chairwoman of the Guilford County Committee for the Democrat party. She was an extremely outspoken and public supporter of Zon’swhile showing an equal amount of hostility towards me.
When ARPA money flooded Vermont, Zon, acting as Chair of the selectboard nominated himself to be the liaison to the ARPA advisory committee. However, prior to establishing the ARPA advisory committee, 3 businesses of the 200+ in Guilford were awarded about $60,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. All three were directly associated with the Friends of Algiers. Two of the businesses paid their rent to the Friends and the other business owner is a sitting director of their board.
The Guilford Country Store is housed in the building owned by the “Friends.” Whomever operates the community store, pays their rent to the Friends for that privilege. The previous managers of the store were awarded over $40,000 in ARPA Funds. Several months later, the recipients of those ARPA dollars dissolved their lease with the Friends and left town.
Sara Coffee was at the Country Store making sandwiches during her campaign and the timing of this ARPA award is suspect. Was Sara being paid to make sandwiches supported with ARPA funds OR was she making sandwiches for free and campaigning at a 501c3?
Anne also petitioned the Selectboard and was awarded $29,000 in ARPA funds to purchase a display cooler on behalf of the Friends. This cooler is utilized by whoever is managing the Guilford Country Store and paying their rent to the Friends. Zon endorsed and voted for all those awards.
Sheila Morse / Treasurer/Principal Officer of the Friends. Sheila was a former Selectboard Chairwoman who, like Rider, resigned in the middle of her term. Zon Eastes was appointed to fill Sheila’s vacancy.
Sheila was subsequently appointed by Zon to Guilford’s newly established Finance Advisory Committee where she has maintained the role of Chair since its inception.
So, Anne Rider resigned before the end of her term as the Chair and endorsed Sheila to become the selectboard Chair in her place. Sheila drafted almost every one of Guilford’s town policies before resigning in the middle of her term as Chair. Zon was appointed to fill Sheila’s vacancy and then helped appoint Sheila to the newly established Finance Advisory Committee.
Sheila was also appointed by Zon to the roles of Guilford’s Interim Town Administrator and Assistant Town Administrator. If you combine those roles and her position as Guilford’s Finance Advisory Committee Chair, Sheila is the only one who has a detailed understanding of Guilford’s finances.
Sheila was also recently appointed by Zon to the Friends of Algiers Traffic Study.
State Representative Sara Coffey was the Chair of the Vermont House of Representatives Transportation Committee and was certain to be reelected for her 4th term. Instead of running, Sara quietly resigned 3 weeks before her signatures were due. One week later she endorsed Zon. Several weeks following, Zon motioned for the Selectboard to draft a letter of support for a demonstration on behalf of the Friends of Algiers Village concerning traffic around the building they own which houses the Guilford Store.
David Snyder and Representative Sara Coffey / David is a Director for the “Friends. His wife Sara not only donated $1120.00 to Zon’s campaign, which is the maximum allowed for an individual, but she added another $1120.00 as a “Business/Group/Organization” under the title “Sara Coffey for State Rep.”
Sara also posed for an endorsement picture with Zon standing in front of the building that houses the Guilford Country Store which, again, is owned by the Friends of Algiers.
David and Sara then held a political fundraiser for Zon at their home.
Other Connections between Zon and the “Friends”
Peter Hetzel / Director of the Friends and the Treasurer to Zon’s campaign
Bill Jewell / Director of Friends and appointed by Zon to the Conservation Commission
Gail Nunziata / Wife of Friends VP, Tom Nunziata. Gail was reimbursed from Zon’s campaign for food. To add, the tenants who pay rent to the Friends (manage the Guilford Store housed in their building) also account for several hundred dollars in food expenditures for Zon’s campaign
Other Directors of the Friends who are listed as “Powering Zon’s Campaign”
Rob Hinrichs, Sarah Rosow, William Wohnus, and Tosha Tillman
Committee members Zon has appointed who are also directors for the Friends and are listed as “Powering Zon’s Campaign.”
Gary Swindler – Energy Coordinator, Director for the Friends
Eric Morse – Algiers Traffic Committee, Director for the Friends
The Friends of Algiers village should be treated as a Political Action Committee not a nonprofit able to solicit and receive State and Federal funding.
Zon’s Contribution Summary prior to his Oct 1 filing
$17,715 had been donated to Zon’s campaign prior to submitting his Oct 1st report. Zon claims to have donated $1,025 of that sum.
29 people have publicly donated to Zon’s campaign.
19 of those 29 public supporters live in Zon’s district and have donated $100 or more to his campaign (therefore statutorily required to disclose who they are) for a total of $6,765. Sara Coffey donated $2,240, which amounts to 33% of the total.
Most of Zon’s local public supporters have been appointed by Zon to a Town Committee/Commission or are tied to the Friends or both.
Zon’s campaign treasurer (a Director of the Friends) claims there are also 130 anonymous donors who have submitted a combined total of $6,613. Zon’s campaign is claiming those donors have not exceeded the $100 minimum threshold for reporting, so his campaign is not required to disclose who those donors are.
Zon’s remaining donations amount to $3,312.56 and are attributed to 10 of his 29 total public supporters. None of those supporters live in Zon’s district. 7 of the 10 don’t even live in Vermont.
I was running an honest and transparent campaign using my own savings and was treated as if rules don’t apply. This press release had the purposeful intent of destroying my character on election day. 130 anonymous donors?
The defamatory press release by the Democrat party also contained a Public Document Request which subsequently led to the resignation of Guilford’s Town clerk, the sole custodian of Guilford’s town vaults. (Please see PDF titled “VDP Guilford Public Records Request”)
At 1:04:15 of this Special meeting, Zon Eastes, acting as the Selectboard Chairman, motioned that “the Selectboard per 24 V.S.A. § 872, in its statutory right, will take oversite (…) of the vaults and then we will manage that as we need to manage it.” “If the selectboard is not able to receive the combinations to the vault, for whatever reason, the selectboard is at right, (…) to pursue a court order to receive the combinations.
Chairman Eastes demanded the town clerk hand over the combinations and grant “staff” access to Guilford’s vaults. These vaults contained ballots bearing the name of Candidate Eastes along with the tabulator used to calculate those votes.
The Town Clerk was concerned about losing control of the vaults yet the entire selectboard voted to “receive the combinations.” The Selectboard was then confronted at the 7/26/24 Special Meeting about all of them being listed on Zon’s political website as “Volunteers Empowering Zon’s campaign.”
Zon’s website stated: “Thanks to the many volunteers powering Zon’s campaign” and listed selectboard members Michael Becker, Chip Carter, Tara Cheney, Erika Elder, Verandah Porche and newly appointed Town Auditor, Robert Tucker. (Please see PDF Titled “Tucker for Auditor”)
Zon’s motion stated that the Selectboard has a statutory right to take oversight of the Town Vaults, and they will manage it. If the town clerk refused, the selectboard would pursue a court order.
It has been claimed that no member of the selectboard has ever had the combinations. Only the selectboard’s newly Appointed Town Administrator was given the combinations. She is still listed on Zon’s website as “powering his campaign” and was paid over $87,000 ($25,000 more than the $62,838 which the voters of Guilford budgeted) in the first year of her newly appointed role.
The Election Day Press Release was done with malicious political intent against me and the ramifications have rippled well past election integrity in Guilford.
Thank you for your attention to this matter,
Jason Herron