Vermont Supreme Court nominee Michael Drescher, center, speaks before the Senate Judiciary Committee as fellow nominee Christina Nolan, second from left, listens at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Tuesday, Jan. 13. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
MONTPELIER — Michael Drescher prosecuted cases on behalf of the federal government in Vermont during the first year of President Donald Trump’s administration — which dealt him historic immigration cases like those of Rümeysa Öztürk and Mohsen Mahdawi.
Now, Drescher is a nominee to serve on the Vermont Supreme Court, leading senators this week to interrogate his past.
Gov. Phil Scott appointed Drescher to serve on the state’s top court last week, along with former top Vermont federal prosecutor Christina Nolan. Both candidates led Vermont’s U.S. Attorney’s Office under Trump, with Nolan serving in the role during his first presidential term. To serve as a state Supreme Court justice, both nominees need state Senate confirmation.
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byAlan J. Keays
Drescher prosecuted the cases against Öztürk and Mahdawi, representing the federal government. Öztürk was a Turkish graduate student at Tufts University who was arrested in Massachusetts by plainclothes officers in March after co-writing a student newspaper op-ed critical of Israel’s war in Gaza. She was then whisked to Vermont, where she was held in an immigration office in St. Albans.
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Mahdawi was a Palestinian student activist at Columbia University who vocally opposed Israel’s war in Gaza. He was arrested in Colchester in April during a routine immigration meeting.
Drescher resigned from his role as Vermont’s top federal prosecutor — under the title “First Assistant Attorney” — last week.
“I did that because, in order to be able to speak freely at this hearing, I think I needed to be unencumbered by being employed by the Department of Justice,” Drescher said Tuesday.
Lawmakers in the Senate Judiciary Committee heard from Drescher again on Wednesday, grilling him about his moral compass and views on free speech. Four senators in the committee said they’ve received hundreds of emails about his appointment.
“I still hold concerns about decisions that you made in your role,” Sen. Nader Hashim, D-Windham, the committee’s chair, said. Other senators expressed the same concern.
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What was Drescher’s defense? “I was doing my job even though it was unpopular,” he said.
Drescher reminded senators Tuesday that Trump never formally appointed him to the role. He served as assistant U.S. attorney starting in 2002 and was promoted to the second highest position in the office in September 2023. He became the top federal prosecutor in the state last year, when the then-U.S. attorney for Vermont, who had been appointed by former President Joe Biden, resigned upon Trump’s inauguration.
Though Drescher held the office for about a year in an acting capacity, Trump never appointed him to a permanent U.S. attorney or sought his confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Drescher also did not seek out that appointment, he said.
Drescher said Tuesday that he found out in March his office would be prosecuting Öztürk’s case “out of the blue.” He saw the video of masked agents pulling the student into an unmarked car and described it as “irregular at least.” Drescher said he represented the federal government in the case because he didn’t want anyone else in his office to have to bear the burden.
“I could not in good conscience subject anybody in the office to be in that position. So I concluded that if anybody was going to be fired, it was going to be me,” Drescher said Tuesday, his voice cracking with emotion.
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Drescher said he didn’t resign from his role because he thought his resignation would only prolong Öztürk’s and Mahdawi’s cases. And he would’ve violated his oath of office to not perform his due diligence in prosecuting the two immigration cases.
Drescher’s decision-making in those two cases influenced why Scott chose him.
“The Governor was aware of Michael’s role in both of those prosecutions and believes he showed great leadership by assigning those cases to himself, rather than asking his team to take the cases,” Amanda Wheeler, the governor’s press secretary, said in an email to VTDigger. “As Michael recognized, these assignments would either put the jobs of his career staff in jeopardy or subject them to threats and abuse from members of the public.”
But for some lawmakers, Drescher’s former position is a hard pill to swallow.
“It doesn’t sit well with me,” said Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky, P/D-Chittenden Central, in an interview.
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The civil cases filed on behalf of Öztürk and Mahdawi respectively disputed the legality of their detention. In Öztürk’s case, Drescher repeatedly argued against her release from detention.
To Vyhovsky, that shows that Drescher wasn’t just filling shoes, rather he was in practice enforcing federal immigration actions.
Hashim, in an interview, shared the same concerns as Vyhovsky. The way Drescher handled Öztürk’s case gave him concerns about Drescher’s legal discretion, he said.
The national political climate only increases the need for the committee to do its due diligence when considering the appointments, Vyhovsky said. And she wants to make sure that state Supreme Court justices are committed to protecting people’s rights, she said.
Other senators expressed similar concerns in the Wednesday committee meeting.
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“I’ve never seen a crisis point in America like we’re facing,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden Central. While Trump’s immigration agenda sweeps the country, Congress has “neutered itself” and left too much up to the judiciary, Baruth said.
Drescher told senators he understood those concerns. But he asserted that the legal cases wouldn’t have been able to move forward without competent legal counsel on each side.
He argued that in his former role, he was a counterbalance necessary to have a functioning legal system. And he held the executive branch to a high standard, he said.
Drescher said that while he understands why he’s being associated with Trump’s policies and attitudes, lawyers are not usually judged based on the character of those they represent.
Sen. Robert Norris, R-Franklin, asked Drescher if he would have done anything differently.
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“I don’t think so. I don’t think so,” Drescher replied.
Powerball, Mega Millions jackpots: What to know in case you win
Here’s what to know in case you win the Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
The Vermont Lottery offers several draw games for those willing to make a bet to win big.
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Those who want to play can enter the MegaBucks and Lucky for Life games as well as the national Powerball and Mega Millions games. Vermont also partners with New Hampshire and Maine for the Tri-State Lottery, which includes the Mega Bucks, Gimme 5 as well as the Pick 3 and Pick 4.
Drawings are held at regular days and times, check the end of this story to see the schedule.
Here’s a look at April 20, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from April 20 drawing
09-17-36-47-64, Powerball: 26, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning Gimme 5 numbers from April 20 drawing
16-17-25-33-36
Check Gimme 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 20 drawing
Day: 0-5-8
Evening: 6-1-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
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Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 20 drawing
Day: 7-8-3-4
Evening: 0-0-4-9
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Megabucks Plus numbers from April 20 drawing
04-11-23-32-41, Megaball: 04
Check Megabucks Plus payouts and previous drawings here.
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Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
For Vermont Lottery prizes up to $499, winners can claim their prize at any authorized Vermont Lottery retailer or at the Vermont Lottery Headquarters by presenting the signed winning ticket for validation. Prizes between $500 and $5,000 can be claimed at any M&T Bank location in Vermont during the Vermont Lottery Office’s business hours, which are 8a.m.-4p.m. Monday through Friday, except state holidays.
For prizes over $5,000, claims must be made in person at the Vermont Lottery headquarters. In addition to signing your ticket, you will need to bring a government-issued photo ID, and a completed claim form.
All prize claims must be submitted within one year of the drawing date. For more information on prize claims or to download a Vermont Lottery Claim Form, visit the Vermont Lottery’s FAQ page or contact their customer service line at (802) 479-5686.
Vermont Lottery Headquarters
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1311 US Route 302, Suite 100
Barre, VT
05641
When are the Vermont Lottery drawings held?
Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
Gimme 5: 6:55 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
Pick 3 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
Pick 4 Day: 1:10 p.m. daily.
Pick 3 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
Pick 4 Evening: 6:55 p.m. daily.
Megabucks: 7:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily
What is Vermont Lottery Second Chance?
Vermont’s 2nd Chance lottery lets players enter eligible non-winning instant scratch tickets into a drawing to win cash and/or other prizes. Players must register through the state’s official Lottery website or app. The drawings are held quarterly or are part of an additional promotion, and are done at Pollard Banknote Limited in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Vermont editor. You can send feedback using this form.
ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. (Aging Untold) — For 10 days, the Champlain Valley Fair, a county fair in Vermont, becomes its own little town with thousands of people, hot afternoons and the occasional emergency.
Charlene Phelps, 74, runs the fair’s emergency response team.
“We have a lot of seniors that come and people don’t drink enough water,” Phelps said.
The team handles sprains, bee stings, heat exhaustion and whatever comes through.
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“I like taking care of people, I like helping people,” Phelps said.
Living out a childhood dream
It’s also a childhood dream.
Phelps wanted to be a nurse, but college wasn’t possible, so she found another route into care and has been showing up year after year at the fair.
Aging Untold expert Amy O’Rourke said living out your purpose can improve mental and spiritual well-being.
“When you tap into that, you’re tapping in on a place that’s a risk, that’s a challenge that inevitably creates growth inside you, gives you confidence so that if you’re in another situation you can build on that,” O’Rourke said. “Or, if you’re in an everyday situation where you’re a little anxious, it’ll help create stabilization in that place as well.”
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Saving lives at the fair
Sometimes it’s bigger than a bandage.
“Over on there near the swings way over there is Gustovo, and we saved his life,” Phelps said.
Gustovo had gone into cardiac arrest at the fair a few years ago.
“I mean he was gone,” Phelps said.
Now he’s back and working the rides.
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“Came for my hug, Gustovo,” Phelps said.
O’Rourke said stories like this are also why some people keep working past retirement age. Purpose isn’t a number, it’s a role.
“I’ve seen a 92-year-old still working as a nurse’s aid. I’ve seen people in my neighborhood chilling out and loving it,” O’Rourke said. “So, I think it’s being really self-aware of what you need and making sure that you’re getting those needs met.”
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A plan by Gov. Phil Scott’s administration to make all of the state’s lottery games, including scratch-off tickets, available on a person’s phone never got off the ground at the Statehouse this year.
Lottery Commissioner Wendy Knight told lawmakers in January that the plan was a way to modernize the lottery “because you need to keep pace with technology — you need to meet your players where they are.”
Fifteen states have created a “digital” lottery system, and many have discovered there’s a distinct market of people who don’t buy lottery tickets at retail outlets but will do so on their phones, according to Knight. “We’re trying to ensure the future of the Vermont Lottery, ” the commissioner said.
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But state lawmakers have not been persuaded.
Vergennes Rep. Matt Birong, the Democratic chair of the House government operations committee, said members of the panel felt this year was not the time to move forward with this plan, especially given the recent legalization of sports betting.
“It is digitizing a current system and after moving forward with the sports wagering — people just wanted to take their time with it — so my committee decided to tap the brakes on further testimony.”
The administration estimated that the plan would have raised roughly $5 million a year for the state’s education fund after two years of implementation.
The prospect of that additional revenue is appealing to lawmakers, and Birong said they may reconsider the plan next year.
