U.S. Attorney Christina Nolan will resign from her position in Vermont by the end of the month as part of the transition to the administration of President Joe Biden.

“It has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime to serve in the role of U.S. Attorney for Vermont, to serve the state I love, the office I love, and the mission I love — seeking justice,” Nolan said in a statement Tuesday.

Nolan was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and sworn in as Vermont’s top federal prosecutor in November 2017, becoming the first woman to hold the job. The Vermont native grabbed headlines with several high-profile cases during her three-plus years in the post.

In 2019, her office brought financial fraud charges against Ariel Quiros and Bill Stenger for their roles in the Northeast Kingdom EB-5 scandal. Quiros has since pleaded guilty. And in October, Nolan was part of the team that secured a record $8.3 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma for its part in a scheme to push its highly addictive opioid pills on patients.
Though Nolan had been recommended for the post by Republican Gov. Phil Scott and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), she’d ultimately been nominated by former president Donald Trump. Her resignation announcement on Tuesday came shortly after acting U.S. Attorney General Monty Wilkinson said he’d begin to clean house of Trump-appointed prosecutors.

“Until U.S. Attorney nominees are confirmed, the interim and acting leaders in the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices will make sure that the department continues to accomplish its critical law enforcement mission, vigorously defend the rule of law and pursue the fair and impartial administration of justice for all,” Wilkinson said in a statement announcing the transitions.

It’s unclear how long the nomination process would take and who would take over in Vermont. Eric Miller resigned as Vermont’s U.S. attorney in February 2017. An acting top prosecutor led the office until Nolan’s confirmation that November.

Councilor Ali Dieng (I-Ward 7) introduced the resolution, saying the council vote in June to dramatically cut the police force and invest in social services was a "knee-jerk reaction" to activists' demands. The question he's proposed would ask voters if the city should increase the department's authorized headcount from 74 officers to 84.

Non-binding means the council would not be required to adopt the change, even if a majority of voters approve it.

Updated at 4:04 p.m.

Public officials, police, and Vermont's Republican and Democratic parties are urging caution ahead of what law enforcement authorities have called possible plans for armed protests at the Vermont Statehouse.

The potential threat prompted the Montpelier City Council on Wednesday to pass a resolution recommending the closure of schools, the Statehouse and city hall on January 20, the date president-elect Joe Biden is sworn in. And on Friday, the Vermont Judiciary announced it would cancel all in-person hearings and meetings scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.


The Federal Bureau of Investigation has warned local law enforcement in all 50 states about potential threats by armed pro-Trump extremists who falsely claim that President Donald Trump won reelection in November.

Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, an insurrection that led to the killing of a police officer and four other deaths.

Law enforcement officials have flagged Sunday, January 17, and Wednesday, January 20, as two dates of potential armed protest.

The Montpelier resolution calls for “residents and visitors to make the safe choice and refrain from direct in-person counter-protest activity due to the risk of violence.

“There are other ways, safer ways to make your voice heard and to stand up for what you believe in,” the resolution reads. “We’re asking you to consider safety first during these events. In addition, there is neither need nor necessity to be armed at a peaceful protest, and anyone coming to any of these events, please do so without firearms.”