Scott: No evidence of misconduct on EB-5 China trip

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott Tuesday offered new details of the investigation into alleged sexual misconduct during an EB-5 trip to China.

Gov. Scott and Department of Public Safety officials say they looked into a complaint alleging misconduct by a state official in China. The allegation was made public this month by Stowe Attorney Russell Barr, who is suing the state over it's handling of the Vermont EB-5 Center. Barr told reporters last week that he has information about the arrest of a state official for having sex with a minor. He alleges the incident happened in 2013 or 2014, but he provided no evidence to support the claim.

Public Safety Commissioner Thomas Anderson says a complaint was filed by Brady Toensing -- now the vice chairman of the Vermont Republican Party -- in 2014. The State Police conducted an investigation, but found nothing. Barr says he plans to amend his clients' complaint to include the allegation, but he has not committed to revealing the evidence he claims to have.

"There was an investigation -- an internal investigation -- done in 2014 as a result of the complaint brought forth by Brady Toensing. As I understand it there was nothing. After the investigation they thought it was inconclusive. There was nothing there," Scott said.

Anderson issued a

Tuesday saying, in part, that his department and the state police "have a constitutional and ethical obligation not to launch criminal investigations of Vermont citizens based on rumor, innuendo, or which are solely politically or financially motivated."