Vermont Gov. Phil Scott replaces state’s attorney with priest

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott announced Monday that Bram Kranichfeld, a former prosecutor who has since been ordained as a priest, will serve as interim state’s attorney for Franklin County.

Effective immediately, he replaces John Lavoie, who resigned last month amid misconduct accusations.

Kranichfeld will serve until a permanent replacement is found, Scott said. The veteran prosecutor headed the Vermont attorney general office’s criminal division from 2018 to 2019. Before that, he was the deputy state’s attorney and then chief deputy of the Chittenden County state’s attorney’s office.

In 2019, Kranichfeld left his state post to attend divinity school and is currently the head priest at All Saints Episcopal Church in South Burlington and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Vergennes. Scott implied that was part of what made Kranichfeld a good choice.

“Given the difficult nature of this vacancy at the state’s attorney’s office, I believe it’s important to provide stability and certainty through this transition until a permanent replacement is identified,” Scott said in a statement obtained by local news site Seven Days Vermont. “Bram has demonstrated his commitment to community, and his significant experience practicing law makes him a good fit to serve in this interim role.”

Kranichfeld’s predecessor Lavoie was accused earlier this year of harassing and discriminating against employees. A Vermont legislative committee was formed in May and met over the summer to determine whether to impeach Lavoie, and he announced his resignation on Aug. 23. Lavoie acknowledged what he called inappropriate humor but said it stopped short of being harassing or racist.

“If I thought that anyone found my language or comments offensive, I would have stopped and apologized,” Lavoie said in May. “I guess I have to apologize for now suddenly being out of step with the times.”

Kranichfeld said he was eager to smooth the transition to a permanent replacement.

“This is an office that has experienced harm and trauma. And I see my mission as, primarily, one of starting the healing process,” Kranichfeld told Vermont Digger. “I also see it as restoring public trust in the office, and restoring confidence in the community.”

With News Wire Services