Vermont Democrats allege former staffer embezzled $18,500 from party

The Vermont Democratic Party has filed a police report alleging that a former staff member embezzled more than $18,500 from the party over the course of six months.

Former operations manager Brandon Batham is accused of fraudulently skimming more than $15,000 through the party’s payroll system between January and June 2019.

The state Democratic Party announced earlier this month that seven instances of financial misuse by a party employee had been discovered, reaching a total of $2,938.31. A source familiar with Batham’s resignation in mid-July confirmed at that time that he stepped down related to embezzlement allegations.

A statement from the party Sunday details a broader pattern of misuse of party funds than had previously been disclosed.

Read more: https://vtdigger.org/2019/08/18/vt-dems-allege-former-staffer-embezzled-18500-from-party/