To the editor: Windsor County Democrats issue statement on sheriff’s race controversy

It has come to the attention of the Windsor County Democratic Committee that on Monday Aug. 3, Joshua Lake, one of the three Democratic candidates for Windsor County Sheriff, received a Giglio letter jointly signed by Steven Brown, State’s Attorney for Windham County and Domenica Padula, Chief, Criminal Division, Office of the Vermont Attorney General.

This Giglio letter was issued as a result of an investigation by the Vermont State Police (not as a result of investigations by Sheriff Ryan Palmer).

The term Giglio refers back to a United States Supreme Court case (Giglio v. United States). A Giglio letter is issued by prosecutors when they learn of information that a law enforcement officer has acted in a way that calls into question their credibility.

In Vermont, a Giglio letter is a formal disclosure by a prosecutor indicating that an officer has a documented history of dishonesty, bias, or misconduct that undermines their credibility as a witness.

As of today, it appears that Joshua Lake has decided to remain a candidate in the race. In a Sheriff candidate forum sponsored by Windsor County Democrats on Wednesday June 24, 2026, in answering a question about Giglio situations, Joshua Lake stated in his own answer that he “100% believes that we should not have law enforcement working the streets with Brady or Giglio letters.” One can find a link to this recorded forum on the Windsor County Democrats website.

While the Windsor County Democratic Committee does not endorse candidates prior to the August primary election, we encourage voters to carefully consider all the facts, including the facts shared above, read continuing news coverage on this unfolding story, and learn more about the two other Democratic candidates who are running for Windsor County Sheriff – Chris
Norton of Springfield and Claude Weyant of Windsor.

BJ Dunn
Chair
Windsor County Democratic Committee