To the editor,
Kudos to the Standard for its front-page coverage (Sept. 17) of yet another exoneration of Chief Swanson, this time by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council, for the second time. The Standard reports that this is “at least the fourth investigation that the village has sought against Swanson since October 2024.”
No, it’s at least the FIFTH. Given municipal manager Eric Duffy’s propensity to initiate these investigations secretively, there may be more that we don’t yet know about. But the results so far have shown zero wrongdoing by Chief Swanson.
The first investigation in October 2024, by the Vermont State Police, resulted in full exoneration of Chief Swanson over the High Street incident that Duffy used to put Chief Swanson on administrative leave. Duffy tried to bias the investigation by excluding the third participant in the incident. Duffy further sought to influence the outcome by issuing a press release implying that there was a complaint against Chief Swanson. There was not, but Duffy refused to sorrect the public record.
The second investigation instigated by Duffy, also in October 2024, began when he hired Burgess Associates in NH to look into Chif Swanson’s tenure as chief, searching for problems. The Burgess report came up with marginal failings such as a messy desk or mis-matched socks. The report cost the village about $8,000, which Duffy charged to the Town budget. At the March 2026 hearing on Chief Swanson’s demotion, his expert witness demolished the Burgess report as shoddy and unprofessional. Even the Village’s expert witness
would not defend the report.
The third investigation instigated by Duffy, secretively, was by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council (VCJC). Chief Swanson had asked Duffy for this investigation but Duffy withheld this information. The VCJC delivered a complete exoneration of Chief Swanson, the second exoneration in a month, but Duffy ignored them both.
The Village proceeded to demote Chief Swanson, he appealed, and in December the Vermont Superior Court ruled that the Village had acted illegally. The court reinstated Chief Swanson, in a ruling with which the Village has yet to fully comply. Shortly after the court decision, Duffy started another investigation.
The fourth investigation instigated by Duffy, apparently in late December, started with a secret contract with CSC Associates, a group of investigative lawyers with no special expertise in police procedures. Duffy targeted Chief Swanson in this investigation relating to the aftermath of car crash that died Ben Johnsen. Duffy asked CSCX to investigate only Swanson, even though five other emergency services personnel were on scene, under the direction of Fire Chief David Greene. Duffy has not revealed the cost of the CSC investigation or its findings, if any.
The fifth investigation instigated by Duffy and reported in last week’s Standard was by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council. Duffy initiated this secretly. The VCJC fully exonerated Swanson, without specifying what the complaint was. Duffy refused to say either. As with all these investigations, Duffy has withheld information from the media and the public, as have the municipal boards.
Five investigations in two years have produced no serious questions about Chief Swanson’s behavior. Chef Swanson first demotion was illegal, the second is under appeal, with a decision expected shortly.
-William Boardman, Woodstock
To the Editor:
Thank you to Elizabeth Brown of the Fiscal Alliance Foundation for talking about Vermont’s “Industrial Educational Military Complex” here in VT and the explosion of State and Educational employees and the educational budget.
Stop raiding the General Fund and Highway Fund to sugar coat down our crushing tax bills!
I think Vermont needs two Town Meetings, add another just after the tax bills go out in September?
Can Teacher Contracts shift away from the traditional Health Care providers and switch to provide a lump sum divided up in to personally managed accounts for teachers? “You get this plus amount per teacher” per year and backed up by a limited catastrophic reserve fund if needed for extreme health issues and their costs?
Sad that many of us use Amazon and we want to protect local business, but deny critical JOBS to VERMONT and “we are too good to let little Jane or Johnny” earn money doing Amazon work, as this is perceived below us in our snugness as getting one’s hands dirty!? We need JOBS and Housing!
One of my first jobs as a “Galley Slave” standing for hours feeding paper advertising inserts 12am-5am at The Burlington Free Press on South Winooski Ave. For others their second job.
-Bob Devost, Jericho