by Don Keelan
When any of my four daughters or granddaughters come to Vermont for a visit, out of caution, I inform them of where not to visit. Buell and Church Streets in Burlington come to mind. Also, Flat Street in Brattleboro is another one. They are locations that should be avoided. I have added the Vermont Statehouse, particularly the Office of the Lt. Governor.
David Zuckerman, Vermont’s Lt. Governor, holds a state-wide elected office, which puts him one heartbeat from being Vermont’s governor.
The recent primary results, where Zuckerman was elected again for the Lt. Governor’s position, were difficult to fathom after what had been reported in VTDigger on August 6 by Sarah Mearhoff: “ In early 2023, House Speaker Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, issued verbal and written warnings to Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman after state legislators reported feeling uncomfortable when Zuckerman offered them access to a supply of menstrual products located in a drawer in his Chief of Staff’s office.”
Put another way, when a female legislator or a female page were invited to the Lt. Governor’s office to get acquainted, he was unhesitant to offer assistance with any possible menstrual products they may require. How sickening is that coming from the State’s second-highest elected leader?
A disgraceful act of concealment occurred with the leadership of the Vermont Legislature, particularly the House Speaker and her “clubhouse colleagues,” who allowed 18 months to pass before the Digger exposed Zuckerman’s unprofessional conduct.
The leadership’s rationale was that Zuckerman is a member of the executive branch and that they have no jurisdiction over him—pure, unadulterated bull.
The leadership could have posted personnel or signage at his office entrance warning all female visitors about what they might expect upon visiting the Lt. Governor. This would also have provided notice to the female public visitors to the Statehouse, but no, the leaders covered it up. We must protect the House from any scandal.
Some 15 months later, in April 2024, with the controversial hearings and vote by the Vermont Senate to confirm Governor Scott’s nomination of Zoie Saunders as the Secretary of Education, David Zuckerman’s nefarious behavior was once again revealed.
As reported in VTDigger by Ethan Weinstein, “The debate (over Saunders’ appointment) reached a fever pitch over the weekend after Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman sent a campaign email urging senators to vote down Saunders’ confirmation.”
According to Weinstein, the governor immediately came to Saunders’ defense: “On Monday, Scott cited what he called Zuckerman’s ‘erroneous comments’ while criticizing the debate around Saunders’ confirmation as ‘toxic’ and calling on the Senate to postpone its vote.”
The following Tuesday, the Senate voted 19 to 9 not to confirm Saunders. This was followed by Zuckerman’s public apology, declaring that his campaign email was an inaccurate representation. His quote, as reported in the Digger, was, “I want to apologize to the Senate for adding to the heat of the debate.”
What was conspicuously missing was Zuckerman’s apology to Zoie Saunders, who moved from Florida with her family to Vermont to lead a failing Agency of Education. Gov. Scott stuck it to the 19 Senate members. Without wasting time, he appointed Saunders Interim Secretary of Education the next day.
There was a time, not long ago, when a visit to the Vermont State House, when the legislature was in session, was an opportunity to look forward to. Carrying out their duties were Senators and Representatives Dick Sears, Dick Mazza, Jane Kitchel, Randy Brock, Ralph Wright, and a few others. It was where the virtues of character–integrity, leadership, collegiality, and courage–were witnessed.
Governor Scott was right to state at the time of the Saunders’ vote that the place was “toxic.” It still is, and even worse, the leadership runs to cover up rather than stay in place and demonstrate a sense of courage and leadership.
Yes, David Zuckerman, who is a heartbeat away from being governor, resides in the executive branch and, according to Speaker Krowinski, can’t be touched. However, he can be “touched,” and Articles of Impeachment can be served on him.
The legislators do not have the backbone or courage to do so. They just continue the clubhouse coverup. I will continue to inform my daughters, granddaughters, and other female friends to avoid visiting the Statehouse.
The author is a U.S. Marine (retired), CPA, and columnist living in Arlington, VT.