Senate committee hears from Seth Champ; vote on State Police Advisory Commission nomination postponed

Seth Champ, nominated to the State Police Advisory Commission, told the Senate Government Operations Committee on Jan. 16 that he was born and raised in Vermont and has returned in recent years after teaching and running programs elsewhere.

Champ said he taught for years at Duke University and later opened a jiu-jitsu school in Essex after moving back to Vermont during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I was born and raised in Vermont,” he said. He described work with law-enforcement personnel in North Carolina, including training on noninjurious control techniques, and said those experiences shaped his interest in serving on the advisory commission.

The nomination drew questions about Champ’s background, how he was nominated and what he would bring to the commission. Champ said a member of the State Police Advisory Commission who is connected to his youth program raised his name and that the commissioner conducted an interview before recommending him to the governor. He described himself as “a member of the public” with experience working with law enforcement and a stated interest in accountability.

Champ told the committee that his jiu-jitsu teaching emphasizes techniques that allow a person to be controlled without serious injury, and that this training has been used in some law-enforcement training programs. He said he believes accountability in policing requires that officers report and address misconduct within their ranks: “A bad cop is a cop that doesn't report other cops,” he said.

The committee did not take a confirmation vote at the end of the hearing. A committee member explained the delay was procedural: the committee is waiting for the outcome of a separate judicial matter before voting on the nomination. Members present said the delay was unrelated to Champ’s qualifications and several committee members expressed support for the candidate during the hearing, while stating they would not vote until the pending judicial process concludes.

The committee did not set a new date for a vote during the session. If the nomination proceeds, the committee will return to consider it after the referenced judicial matter is resolved.

Attendance and sequence: the hearing opened with brief introductions from several committee members, including Senator Rebecca White (Windsor County) and the committee vice chair, identified as representing the Chittenden Central district. The session included time for Committee members to ask about Champ’s background, training and views on policing and public accountability.

No formal action was taken on the nomination during the Jan. 16 meeting; the committee recorded the testimony for its files and indicated it would return to the matter after the outstanding judicial issue is resolved.