A Vermont Republican legislator announced his resignation on Friday in the aftermath of his participation in a long-running group chat of young GOP leaders riddled with antisemitic and racist language being exposed.
State Sen. Samuel Douglass, 26, was the only elected official involved in a private group chat of a dozen young Republican Party operatives from around the country who participated in the instant message chain, first reported on Tuesday by Politico.
The text messages included a range of racial epithets disparaging black people, jokes about putting political opponents in gas chambers, support for Adolf Hitler and slavery, and one participant calling rape “epic.”
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Douglass forwarded a lengthy resignation statement to Vermont news media and legislative officials on Friday, noting that his resignation would be effective as of noon on Monday.
“I know that this decision will upset many, and delight others, but in this political climate I must keep my family safe,” Douglass wrote.
Douglass noted in his resignation statement that he and his wife recently had their first child, and he was coming back from paternity leave as the news broke regarding the text message stream.
Since the expose, he said that he has “received some of the most horrific hate one could imagine,” including threats of rape and death to his wife and child.
“Many of these were made by Vermonters. We’ve even heard about an online petition circling to have our baby taken away from us. Just today we were sent nasty items in the mail,” Douglass wrote.
Douglass said that he “never wanted to alienate anyone no matter their party” and that he has reached out to his “Jewish and BIPOC friends and colleagues to ensure that they can be honest and upfront with me.”
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Gov. Phil Scott (R-VT) reportedly called on Douglass to resign following the incident. He is expected to appoint a replacement to serve out the rest of Douglass’s term, through the end of 2026.
Several other members of the group chat serving in staff positions for Republican officials across the country have been fired.