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By Guy Page
A Vermont Daily Chronicle report on migrant worker housing violations at the family farm of Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Molly Gray has received national attention following a televised debate exchange between Gray and Republican incumbent Lt. Gov. John Rodgers.
Gray, a former lieutenant governor, is challenging Rodgers in the November 3 general election. Rodgers is trailing Gray according to two major polls.
The conservative news website The Gateway Pundit published an article Thursday, October 8, by Jim Hoft about Rodgers questioning Gray during an October 6 Vermont Public debate over state and federal investigations into Four Corners Farm in South Newbury, where Gray grew up and which remains operated by members of her family.
As reported by Vermont Daily Chronicle earlier this week, government records document investigations into housing provided for seasonal agricultural workers employed through the federal H-2A visa program.
Investigators identified several housing deficiencies, including inadequate insulation, heating concerns, damaged flooring and window screens, and livestock housed beneath a kitchen area used by workers. A Vermont Department of Labor official also described a basement shower as lacking lighting, ventilation and privacy.
Additional fire safety and building code concerns arose during the farm’s efforts to obtain approval for migrant worker housing.
During Tuesday’s debate, Rodgers noted that Gray frequently references her family farm upbringing in her campaign. He also cited language on her campaign website supporting the right of everyone to live with dignity and receive humane treatment.
Rodgers asked Gray why she had not publicly addressed the treatment of migrant workers at the farm and whether she had used her influence to direct the investigation.
“Wow. You know, John, seems like kind of a new, a new low here,” Gray responded. “I’m on the ballot. My experience, my background, my policies are on the ballot. My family is not on the ballot. So I’m going to give you an opportunity to ask a different question.”
“That’s my question,” Rodgers replied, declining to withdraw it.
Gray did not directly address the housing violations or the question about possible influence over the investigation.
The government records document violations and investigations involving Four Corners Farm but do not establish that Gray personally managed the worker housing or intervened in the investigations.
The Gateway Pundit article characterized the exchange as an example of Democratic hypocrisy and criticized Gray for declining to answer Rodgers’ questions. The website’s coverage brought the Vermont campaign dispute to a national conservative readership.
The exchange highlights a disagreement between the candidates over whether Gray’s references to her family farm make its employment and housing practices relevant to the campaign. Rodgers has raised questions about those practices, while Gray maintains that her family is not on the ballot. In the debate, Gray also alluded to disputes that Rodgers, a Northeast Kingdom cannabis farmer, has had with local and state officials.
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Categories: Elections, Media, National News
Time for Molly Gray to return to the farm and do the work and get off the government pay check. Then she can complain about her living conditions. Comment from Richard Day.
The website “Not the Bee” run by the company that runs “Babylon Bee” has also picked it up. The clip where Gray says “I’ll give you the opportunity to take that back” (not the exact wording but the gist) has gone viral on X, with more “shares” than I wanted to take the time to count. Gray’s comment about “I’ll give you the opportunity…” seems to have hit a nerve because the sharers see it as personifying leftist elitist arrogance in respect to the “cave dwellers,” deplorables, bitter clingers and so on. I hope at the very least the Rodgers campaign is getting some out of state $$$ contributions
She’s toast.
He’s toasted!
Difference is, it wasn’t her farm. Rodgers pot farm is his. I support him, but not on this one issue.
Well, he did pay the fine, and hopefully learned that he needs to keep his ducks in a row no matter how stoned they may be.😏 That said, I don’t use cannabis myself, but also see no need for ANY government oversight of how or where a plant is grown…it’s a plant!
Gray worked the “family farm” bit to the hilt when she thought it was good for her “rural” image and is now disassociating herself because of revelations about the migrants’ living conditions.
I did a Grok search on Gray and “family farm” and came up with more examples than I had the patience to count. All of the many quotes from the campaign trail have suggested that she’s, like, back there every weekend to stack hay or whatever. (Please forgive my farm practice illiteracy.)
So, Ms. Gray, have you visited the farm since 2024 when the complaints started coming in or haven’t you?
Worse she’s trying to get away from the story by playing a thoroughly despicable “I’m just a weak little girly girl and you’re bullying me” card.
That defense—”you are just a big bully because you brought up a thoroughly legit charge in a political debate”—is enormously destructive for women because it suggests that women “can’t take the heat” in the proverbial kitchen that is real life
POT FARMER, and you have to wonder how high you can get smoking twenty five hundred one dollar bills.
Gray’s writings and commentary is about her upbringing and early VT life to get “feel good” voters that have no real experiences and perhaps the majority of liberal female voters. The roots are clear about this. In reality, she’s forgot her roots when educated into the liberal community. She’s just hanging around government for existence and a pay check. Maybe also criminals will vote on VT’s absently ballot. As goes Gray, so goes Vermont. She should move to CA or NY where she’ll fit in.
We need to stop this petty arguing about what particular things bother us and realize that a way of life that we have all been raised will indeed be gone forever. Lets not sit back on our duffs… get out and VOTE !!