James Deeghan. Photo courtesy of Vermont State Police
After former Vermont State Trooper James Deeghan defrauded the state of more than $200,000, Gov. Peter Shumlin pushed for a bill to revoke the pensions of public officials who steal from taxpayers.
On Wednesday, in his ceremonial office in the Statehouse, the governor signed H.41.
“In the Deeghan case, it was made clear we needed to have protections in place that ensured judges have the authority, when a public employee does rip off the taxpayers, to be able to ensure they weren’t retiring on money that was stolen from the public,” Shumlin said, flanked by legislators, attorneys and law enforcement officials. “That no longer would we tolerate guaranteeing a taxpayer funded retirement when the money was taken illegally.”
The new law applies to financially related felonies committed by public officials, such as larceny, embezzlement and fraud.
Shumlin said the bill gives judges the authority to use their retirement funds to pay back stolen public dollars and to ensure that further pension benefits are revoked when officials “have egregiously ripped off the public.”
The Deeghan case is not an isolated incident; it is one large bead that is part of a string of public thefts in recent years.
Previously, the state did not provide attorneys and judges the necessary legal tools to leverage the pensions of such officials. On July 1, when the law takes effect, they will have them.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Shumlin signs pension forfeiture bill.
