An employee of the Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA) remains on the job despite allegations that she embezzled more than $2,000 from the state employees’ union.
Julie A. McDonald, 51, of Georgia, Vt. was arrested Thursday afternoon. She is suspected of embezzling more than $2,000 from the Chittenden chapter of the Vermont State Employees Association.
“Investigation revealed McDonald embezzled over $2,000 in in her role as the treasurer for Chittenden Chapter of the VSEA between December 2012 and August 2015,” Vermont State Police Detective Angela Baker said in a news release. Baker added that McDonald has made efforts to repay the funds.
On Friday morning, less than a day after she was processed at the Williston state police barracks, McDonald was back at work. McDonald answered her state office phone Friday morning, but would only say “no comment” when a reporter asked about the charges.
Tom Cheney, the deputy commissioner of the Department of Human Resources for the state, said Friday that McDonald is still at work.
“It’s important to note that in this particular case, the employee in question does not have responsibilities that involve the handling of state funds in any way,” Cheney said in an email.
Cheney said the state has a number of options for handling situations in which a state employee is accused of misconduct.
“When the state of Vermont is made aware of serious misconduct, on or off duty, it may be grounds for disciplinary action, which is considered on a case-by-case basis,” he said in the email. “This could in appropriate cases involve temporary relief from duty, or limitations on an employee’s duties pending the outcome of investigations or disciplinary processes.”
McDonald is due in court to respond to the allegations January 12.
