Charity Clark

Charity Clark
Charity Clark
Born	Charity Rae Clark 15 7, 1975
Birthplace	Springfield, Vermont, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Lawyer, politician
Education	University of Vermont (BA) Boston College (JD)
Spouse(s)	Robert Lietar (divorced)
Children	1
Website	[ago.vermont.gov Official site]

Charity Rae Clark (born July 15, 1975) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the 28th Vermont Attorney General since January 5, 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Clark was elected to the position in the November 2022 general election, becoming the first woman elected to serve as Vermont's attorney general. A native of Springfield, Vermont, Clark grew up in southern Vermont before attending the University of Vermont and Boston College Law School. Prior to her election, she spent over a decade working in the Vermont Attorney General's Office, eventually rising to become its chief of staff. Since taking office, Clark has been involved in numerous multistate legal actions, including lawsuits challenging federal policies on energy programs and food assistance eligibility for noncitizens.

Early Life

Charity Rae Clark was born on July 15, 1975, in Springfield, Vermont. She grew up in southern Vermont, a region that would later form part of the constituency she sought to represent as attorney general. The Manchester Journal described her as a "Northshire native," referencing the area of southwestern Vermont encompassing the towns of Manchester, Arlington, Dorset, and surrounding communities.

Clark's upbringing in rural Vermont shaped her connection to the state's communities and legal landscape. Southern Vermont, with its mix of small towns, agricultural heritage, and tourism-driven economies, provided the backdrop against which Clark developed an early interest in public service and law. The Manchester Journal editorial board noted that her candidacy for attorney general represented an opportunity for southern Vermont to have its voice heard in statewide politics, a region that has historically been underrepresented in the state's top offices.

Education

Clark attended the University of Vermont in Burlington, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She subsequently pursued legal studies at Boston College Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctor (JD) degree. Her legal education at Boston College, one of the prominent law schools in the northeastern United States, prepared her for a career in public-sector law and government service. After completing her law degree, Clark returned to Vermont to begin her professional career in the state's legal system.

Career

Early Legal Career and Attorney General's Office

Following her legal education, Clark built her career within the Vermont Attorney General's Office. Over the course of more than a decade, she held various positions of increasing responsibility within the office, gaining experience across a range of legal and policy areas relevant to state government. Her tenure in the office gave her extensive familiarity with the operations of the attorney general's role, including consumer protection, civil rights enforcement, and the state's interactions with federal law and policy.

Clark rose through the ranks to become chief of staff to then-Attorney General T.J. Donovan. In this capacity, she served as one of the top officials in the office, overseeing administrative operations and assisting in the formulation of the office's legal strategies and priorities. Her position as chief of staff placed her at the center of the office's decision-making processes and provided her with a comprehensive understanding of the attorney general's responsibilities.

In May 2022, Clark stepped down from her role as chief of staff in the Attorney General's Office. The following month, in June 2022, Attorney General T.J. Donovan announced that he would be leaving his post early to take a position with the online gaming company Roblox. Donovan's departure led to Susanne Young being appointed as his successor on an interim basis, and it opened the door for Clark's campaign for the office.

2022 Campaign for Attorney General

In May 2022, Clark formally announced her candidacy for Vermont Attorney General. Her campaign emphasized her deep experience within the Attorney General's Office and her knowledge of the legal issues facing Vermont. Local media outlets covered her entry into the race, with the Bennington Banner noting her status as a top official in the attorney general's office.

Clark launched her campaign with events across the state, including in the town of Williston, signaling her intention to build a statewide coalition of support. Seven Days, Vermont's alternative weekly newspaper, also covered her entry into the race.

During the campaign, Clark authored an opinion piece published in the Brattleboro Reformer in which she argued that freedoms were at stake in the upcoming election, articulating her vision for the office and the legal protections she aimed to champion.

Clark won the Democratic primary in August 2022, securing the party's nomination for attorney general. The Manchester Journal reported on her primary victory, noting her roots in southern Vermont's Northshire region. In the general election, Clark faced a Republican opponent. VTDigger reported that in the race for Vermont's attorney general, only one of the candidates was a licensed attorney—Clark herself—underscoring her professional qualifications for the position.

On November 8, 2022, Clark won the general election to become Vermont's 28th Attorney General. Her victory was noted by CNN as one of the historic firsts of the 2022 midterm elections, as she became the first woman elected to serve as Vermont Attorney General. The Times Argus also reported on her election, identifying her as a Democrat who had won the office.

Attorney General of Vermont

Clark took office on January 5, 2023, succeeding Susanne Young, who had served in an acting capacity following T.J. Donovan's departure. As attorney general, Clark has led the Vermont Attorney General's Office across a range of legal and policy matters.

Multistate Litigation

A significant component of Clark's tenure as attorney general has involved participation in multistate legal actions challenging federal government policies. In 2025 and into 2026, Clark joined coalitions of state attorneys general in filing lawsuits against the Trump administration on several fronts.

In December 2025, Clark joined a multistate lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging a federal memo issued on October 31 that affected food assistance eligibility for noncitizens. VTDigger reported that the lawsuit addressed what the attorneys general viewed as improper changes to eligibility requirements for food assistance programs.

Clark also joined a coalition of 13 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's policies related to energy programs. The Bennington Banner reported on this legal action, noting it as part of a broader pattern of state-level legal challenges to federal policy decisions.

In a December 2025 commentary published in the Manchester Journal, Clark reflected on her first year of legal challenges against the Trump administration, writing about her experience reviewing cases and finding renewed appreciation for constitutional principles. She outlined her plans for continued legal action in defense of what she described as Vermont's interests and constitutional protections.

Community Engagement

As attorney general, Clark has engaged in outreach across Vermont's communities through town hall events and public appearances. In 2025 and 2026, she participated in town halls and community visits around the state.

The Political Science and International Relations Program at Saint Michael's College in Colchester hosted Clark for a town hall event focused on current legal issues. The Colchester Sun reported on the event, noting that Clark discussed what she characterized as the fight to protect Vermonters from the erosion of democracy and addressed Vermont's response to federal overreach.

Clark also visited Bennington County for a series of community engagements hosted by state Senators Seth Bongartz and Robert Plunkett in September 2025. The visit included meetings and public forums in the region.

The Rutland Herald featured Clark in its "Vt. Book Nook" series, an occasional feature of the newspaper's Weekend Magazine that introduces readers to book readers from around the state, offering a glimpse into her personal interests beyond her official duties.

Personal Life

Clark was married to Robert Lietar. The couple's wedding took place at Hildene, the historic Lincoln family estate in Manchester, Vermont, as reported by the Manchester Journal. The couple later divorced. Clark has one child.

Clark resides in Vermont and has maintained ties to the state throughout her career. Her connection to southern Vermont, where she grew up, has been a recurring element of her public identity, and she has spoken about the importance of ensuring that all regions of Vermont are represented in state-level decision-making.

Recognition

Clark's election as Vermont Attorney General in 2022 was recognized as a historic milestone. CNN included her victory among the notable firsts of the 2022 midterm elections across the United States, as she became the first woman to be elected to the position of Vermont Attorney General. While Vermont had previously had women serve in acting or appointed capacities in the role, Clark's election marked the first time a woman won the office through a general election.

Her candidacy and victory also drew attention as a moment of representation for southern Vermont in statewide politics. The Manchester Journal editorial board highlighted the significance of a Northshire native ascending to one of the state's top legal positions, noting that the region had made its voice heard in the election.

Clark's qualifications for the office were noted during the campaign, with VTDigger reporting that she was the only licensed attorney among the candidates running for the position in the 2022 general election, a distinction that underscored her professional background and readiness for the role.