Local government

Lawmaker on ‘unbiased’ impeachment probe urged sheriff to drop out of race

by Guy Page

A House member appointed to the panel to investigating the possible impeachment of Franklin County Sheriff John Grismore had previously sent him a letter advising him to pull out of the 2022 race.

As reported yesterday in the Vermont Daily Chronicle, House Speaker Jill Krowinski this week appointed a panel of lawmakers to conduct a “comprehensive and unbiased investigation” of alleged impeachable offenses committed by two Franklin County elected officials.

Rep. Mike McCarthy

One appointee, Rep. Mike McCarthy (D-St. Albans), chair of the House Government Operations Committee, wrote Grismore a letter this summer after photos emerged of Grismore pushing or kicking a handcuffed suspect August 7 at the sheriff’s office, the Rutland Herald reported today.

Unless Grismore withdraws from the race, “the next two months will be all about why you shouldn’t be the sheriff,” McCarthy warned Grismore in the letter Grismore shared with the Herald.

“So no, I don’t think this is an unbiased group, I don’t think this is a fair and impartial committee,” Grismore told the Herald. 

He also said the Franklin County GOP urged him to drop out. Rep. Carolyn Branagan (R-Georgia) was appointed to the impeachment probe panel.

McCarthy reportedly told the Herald that asking someone to drop out of a campaign and possibly impeaching them are two different matters. He promised he will be impartial. 

Grismore won election despite the bad publicity surrounding the jailhouse incident. Earlier this month House Speaker Jill Krowinski announced the beginning of impeachment investigations of Grismore and Franklin County State’s Attorney John Lavoie, who allegedly has made inappropriate statements to staff and had engaged in inappropriate non-sexual touching.

If the Legislature impeaches either Grismore or Lavoie, it won’t be the first time an elected Franklin County official has been censured by Vermont lawmakers. In 2016, Franklin County Republican Sen. Norm McAllister was suspended from exercising the duties of his office by the Senate after he was charged with a prostitution-related crime. He was eventually cleared of all charges.

Categories: Local government

12 replies »

  1. Serious question:

    How many “impeachment hearings” has VT ever had? I don’t remember hearing of this before now and we are looking at two of them.

    Is this the communist machine clearing it’s own way?

  2. Playbook known. Weaponization of government against citizens and anyone disagreeing with their narrative or agenda.

  3. He promised he will be impartial. Right…..

    Narcissism does not ride in the same car with class and ethics.

  4. Thank you VDC for including the fact that the charges against former Senator Norm McAllister were bogus. McAllister suffered under the media’s “guilty until proven guilty” mad-feeding frenzy of made up accusations. I have run into very few people who understand that he was CLEARED and never spent a day in jail. We need to get back to “innocent until proven guilty” and I hope this panel takes their job very seriously.

  5. It was not a kick. It was a push and not in the crotch like a lot of progressives are claiming. I suppose he should have just tazed the guy instead.

  6. It’s a forgone conclusion that the impeachments will happen with the brain dead supermajority

    • Oh… they’re not brain dead in any way. They are conscious an aware of their communistic Constitution destroying goals.

  7. If Sheriff Grismore had used his hand (S) in the same manner to bring the subject into compliance instead of a foot, would we be having this conversation ?

  8. Golly, I wonder where these Democrats got the concept to accuse and seek to try a political opponent for crimes they never committed???

    I never mind. I just remembered….it was: President Trump!

    Oh, and Democrats? MAGA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!