Press Releases

Vermont Will Receive Up To $21.85 Million Upon Court Approval of Settlement

Files Amicus Brief with Multi-state Coalition of 19 Other Attorneys General

Brief Argues Against Extreme Executive Overreach and Details How Freeze of USAID Funds Have Harmed the States and Their Residents

Attorney General Charity Clark and Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas today issued statements in response to a federal court granting the states’ motion for preliminary injunction, blocking unlawful provisions in President Trump’s unprecedented Elections Executive Order as the lawsuit proceeds.

Joins 21 Other States in Filing an Amicus Brief

Attorney General Charity Clark today announced she has filed an amicus brief with leaders from 21 states supporting California’s request for a court order blocking the President’s unlawful federalization and deployment of that state’s National Guard.

Lawsuit addresses the Trump Administration’s unprecedented and unlawful attempt to purportedly disapprove Clean Air Act waivers authorizing clean cars and trucks regulations

Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general in releasing the following statement condemning the Trump administration for unlawfully deploying the California National Guard against protestors in California, without coordination with state leadership:

Attorney General Charity Clark today released guidance intended to help Vermont’s immigrant and noncitizen communities understand their rights during encounters with immigration enforcement officers. The guide was designed in response to the many Vermonters who have expressed great concern about recent changes in federal immigration enforcement.

Attorney General Charity Clark joined a bipartisan coalition of 28 states in filing a lawsuit yesterday on behalf of consumers, objecting to the proposed sale of personal genetic information collected by 23andMe. The complaint and a separate objection to the bankruptcy sale, each filed in federal bankruptcy court, aim to stop 23andMe from auctioning off the private genetic data of roughly 15 million customers – including thousands of Vermonters – to the highest bidder without customers’ knowledge or consent.

The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Mark Balch, 34, of Granville, Vermont, was arraigned on charges of felony Aggravated Assault with a Weapon and misdemeanor Reckless Endangerment. The charges brought against Mr. Balch are the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Vermont State Police, which found Mr. Balch discharged his firearm at an occupied vehicle while attempting to have a confrontation with the vehicle’s occupant.

Multistate Amicus Brief Highlights Devastating Impact of Retaliatory Federal Funding Freeze on Local and State Economies

Vermont Joins 15 Other States in Suing ATF Over Illegal Actions Involving Forced Reset Triggers

Attorney General Charity Clark today announced a resolution with UPP Global, LLC, a Maine-based private parking operator known in Vermont as Unified Parking Partners (UPP). UPP provides 27 private parking operations in several Vermont downtowns. Between 2020 and 2024, thousands of consumers paid UPP after receiving what the company misleadingly called “citations” which alleged that failure to pay could result in impacts to a consumer’s credit rating, vehicle registration, license renewal, or ability to rent a vehicle.

Attorney General Charity Clark today won a court order that blocks the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. 

Attorney General Charity Clark today joined 18 other attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, supporting the right of the American people to cast their ballots free from racial discrimination. The amicus brief, filed in Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. Howe, specifically argues in defense of the ability of private citizens to file lawsuits under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) when their rights are violated. 

Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a multistate coalition in an amicus brief defending a Michigan law that prohibits licensed health professionals from practicing conversion “therapy” on minors. Conversion “therapy,” also called sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts, are harmful and ineffective practices that attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Cody Laduc, 22, of Orwell, Vermont, was arraigned on one felony count of felony Lewd or Lascivious Conduct with a Child and one felony count of Lewd and Lascivious Conduct. The charges brought against Mr. Laduc were the result of criminal investigations conducted by the Vermont State Police.

The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Daniel Ciofreddi, 39, of Middlebury, Vermont, was arraigned on one felony count of Promoting Child Sexual Abuse Material, one felony count of Luring a Child, and one misdemeanor count of Dispensing Cannabis to a person under the age of 21. The charges brought against Mr. Ciofreddi are the result of an investigation conducted by the Vermont State Police in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security.

Award recognizes the graduating law enforcement officer with the highest score in the Police Academy’s Domestic Violence Course

Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of 20 state attorneys general in filing a brief in support of a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration's discriminatory ban on transgender military service members. The coalition argued in their brief, filed in the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, that the ban undermines state and national security. The lawsuit was filed by personnel seeking to overturn the order. 

Attorney General Charity Clark announced that the U.S. Court of International Trade yesterday struck down the tariffs President Trump imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), finding the tariffs are invalid and cannot be implemented.

Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Pacito v. Trump, supporting a challenge to Executive Order 14163, which indefinitely suspended the entry of refugees through the U.S.

New Trump employment classification, Schedule F, would strip civil-service protections from tens of thousands of nonpartisan federal employees and risk eroding the effectiveness of the federal government

Attorneys General Call on the American Medical Association to Ensure Reproductive Health Care and Gender-Affirming Care Providers Can Get Board-Certified Without Unnecessary Risk

Attorney General Charity Clark today won a court order stopping the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education (ED). On March 13, Attorney General Clark joined a coalition of 20 other attorneys general in suing the administration after it announced plans to eliminate 50 percent of ED’s workforce.

The Attorney General’s Office today announced that David Donaldson, 53, formerly of Winooski, Vermont, was sentenced in Vermont Superior Court, Chittenden Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to two felony counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material – Second or Subsequent Offense. Mr. Donaldson was subject to an enhanced sentence as a habitual offender, having previously pled guilty to felony possession of child pornography (now known as child sexual abuse materials).

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Ricky Sanville, Jr., 23, of Hartland, Vermont, was arraigned yesterday on six felony counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials. The charges brought against Mr. Sanville are the result of a criminal investigation, including the execution of search warrants conducted by the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC), which included personnel from the Attorney General’s Office and the Hartford Police Department.

The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Ayla Atherton, 30, of Richford, Vermont, was arraigned on one count of felony Medicaid Fraud. The charge brought against Ms. Atherton is the result of an investigation conducted by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU), which found Ms. Atherton submitted false and inaccurate information on timesheets regarding the care she had reportedly provided to an individual. The submission of these false timesheets resulted in Ms.

Attorney General Charity Clark joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general in sending a comment letter to the Trump Administration opposing a proposed rule by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service (collectively, the Services) to rescind the regulatory definitions of “harm” under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Coalition of Attorneys General Opposes DHS’s Closure of Three Offices Created to Address Civil Rights Violations within DHS and Provide Direct Case Assistance to Noncitizens

Attorney General Charity Clark today led a coalition of 40 attorneys general in a bipartisan letter to Congress voicing opposition to a budget amendment that prohibits states from enforcing artificial intelligence (AI) laws. The sweeping and dangerous U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee amendment to the budget reconciliation bill imposes a 10-year prohibition on states from enforcing any state law or regulation addressing AI and automated decision-making systems.

Attorney General Charity Clark today, as part of a coalition of 18 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief supporting a legal challenge to two of President Trump’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility initiatives.

"We were proud to stand together to defend birthright citizenship and the rule of law at the U.S. Supreme Court today. For 127 years, since the Supreme Court settled the issue, the law has been clear: if you are born in this country, you are a citizen of the United States and of our States. Administrations of both parties have consistently respected that right ever since. As every court to have considered the policy agrees, the President’s attempt to end birthright citizenship is patently unconstitutional.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Trint Johns, 20, of Montpelier, Vermont, was arraigned yesterday on one felony count of Lewd and Lascivious Conduct with a Child, two felony counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials, and one felony count of Promoting a Recording of Sexual Conduct. The charges brought against Mr.

Lawsuit Protects Millions of Dollars Used for Vermont’s Emergency Services and Infrastructure Projects

Today’s lawsuit is the second environmental case brought by AG Clark this week

The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Amy Siegel, 48, of Middlesex, Vermont, was arraigned on two counts of felony Medicaid Fraud. The charges brought against Ms. Siegel are the result of an investigation conducted by the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit (MFRAU) and the Secretary of State’s Office of Professional Regulation (OPR), which found Ms.

Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of 16 other attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from illegally terminating billions in congressionally approved funding for electric vehicle infrastructure. Unless the courts check the president’s overreach, Vermont stands to lose nearly $16 million in electric vehicle infrastructure funding.

Attorney General Charity Clark today announced that Vermont received a total of $23,132,483.92 from tobacco manufacturers under the tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). Annually, Vermont receives monies from tobacco manufacturers from the MSA, which resolved the State’s lawsuit filed in the 1990s. The settlement funds are credited to the State’s Tobacco Fund, and the legislature determines how they are spent.

Attorney General Charity Clark today won a court order stopping the Trump administration from dismantling three federal agencies that provide services and funding supporting public libraries and museums, workers, and minority-owned businesses nationwide.

The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Ryan Upham, 26, of Bethel, Vermont, was arraigned on one felony count of Luring a Child. The charges brought against Mr. Upham are the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Hartford Police Department and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (VT-ICAC) during which Mr. Upham engaged in sexually explicit conversations with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old child.

Attorney General Charity Clark today reminded Vermont businesses of the resources available through her office’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP). CAP’s Small Business Initiative assists businesses and consumers with resolving complaints, works to connect businesses with resources, and answers questions from business owners. Vermont is one of the few states in the country that considers businesses to be consumers, protected by consumer laws.

Attorney General Charity Clark today joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing a motion for a preliminary injunction to block the Trump Administration from implementing 

Today’s lawsuit is the fourth suit brought by the AG in two weeks; 13^th lawsuit overall

Today marks one month since HHS suddenly decided to withhold vast amounts of Title X funding 

Attorney General Charity Clark joined an open letter to the legal community yesterday, expressing support for law firms that have fought back against President Trump’s unconstitutional attempts to target law firms for advocacy and representation the Trump Administration disfavors. The letter also expresses the coalition’s profound disappointment that several of the country’s largest law firms have capitulated in the face of these dangerous attacks on the rule of law.

The Attorney General’s Office today announced that Gretchen E. Lewis, 58, of Williamstown, Vermont, was sentenced in Vermont Superior Court, Orleans Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one misdemeanor count of Unauthorized Practice of Psychotherapy and one misdemeanor count of defrauding Vermont Medicaid by False Pretenses. 

Following a one-day trial in Vermont Superior Court, Bennington Criminal Division, a jury has found Max Misch, 42, of Bennington, Vermont, guilty of two counts of misdemeanor possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices.

The case against Mr. Misch was brought by the Attorney General’s Office in February 2019 as the result of a criminal investigation conducted by the Vermont State Police with the assistance of the Bennington Police Department.

Attorney General Charity Clark today joined 20 other attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, supporting fair housing organizations in their appeal of a ruling that lifted a temporary restraining order blocking the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from cancelling these organizations’ grant funding. 

Research Includes Health Impacts and Conditions Linked to Toxic Exposure