Vermont U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest to Resign

U.S. Attorney for Vermont Nikolas Kerest will resign on January 20, the same day president-elect Donald Trump will be sworn in for his second term.

In a press release on Monday, Kerest said serving in the role has been the highlight of his career.

“Public service is a gift,” he said. “I will forever be grateful to have had the chance to work towards a better Vermont — one that is safer for its residents, one in which civil rights are upheld, and one in which the rule of law is respected.”

U.S. attorneys appointed by outgoing presidents typically step down as part of the transition to a new administration. Kerest’s predecessor, Trump nominee Christina Nolan, did the same, albeit a few weeks after President Joe Biden took office in early 2021.

Kerest had worked in the Vermont U.S. Attorney’s Office for more than a decade before Biden selected him for the top position in February 2021. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate that December and oversaw a team of 51 employees, a group Kerest called “small but mighty” in Monday’s press release.

During his tenure, Kerest’s office ramped up prosecution of violent crime, including by supporting the Chittenden County Gun Violence Task Force that formed after a rash of gun crime, particularly in Burlington. His office also represented the Federal Highway Administration when activists sued to stop construction of the Champlain Parkway, a long-planned roadway that will connect Burlington’s South End with downtown.

It’s unclear when Trump will name a replacement for Kerest, or how soon the post could be filled.

Harm reduction activists will be watching the appointment closely as Trump’s choice could oppose Burlington’s plans to open the state’s first overdose-prevention center. During the president-elect’s first term, a U.S. attorney in Pennsylvania sued a nonprofit that planned to open such a center, which allow people to use drugs under supervision. The case has been tied up in courts for years.

First assistant U.S. attorney Michael Drescher will serve in an acting role in the Vermont office after Kerest’s departure. Kerest hasn’t yet determined his next steps, his office said.