Senior advisor to Governor McKee is arrested in Vermont. Here's what we know

A senior adviser to Gov. Dan McKee was arrested in Vermont over the weekend and charged with trespassing and criminal mischief.

Christopher Farrell, 38, was arrested in Waterbury, Vermont on Saturday after state troopers responded to a reported burglary, according to Vermont State Police.

While on their way to the site of the incident, police received a second call from a resident across the street who said a man was trying to steal a vehicle from outside their house, police said.

Troopers arrived at the address of the second call and found Farrell being attended to by paramedics, according to a Vermont State Police news release. He was taken to Central Vermont Medical Center for mental-health screening.

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After investigating, police charged Farrell with unlawful trespass and unlawful mischief. Farrell was ordered to appear at Washington County Superior Court – Criminal Division on Aug. 25, police said.

McKee put Farrell on paid administrative leave Monday morning, said Rhode Island Department of Administration spokesperson Laura Hart.

"While we will not be commenting further on this issue, Mr. Farrell has been put on administrative leave pending the outcome of this personal health matter," Hart said Monday.

Senior advisers provide "policy and operational guidance" to the governor, Hart said and Farrell's portfolio focuses on veterans services, federal infrastructure spending and the Department of Administration.

Farrell's salary is $135,554 a year, according to the state transparency website.

Farrell grew up in McKee's hometown of Cumberland and was hired when McKee was elevated from lieutenant governor to governor in March 2021. He described McKee as his "mentor."

Before returning to Rhode Island to join the McKee administration, Farrell, a graduate of Quinnipiac University School of Law, worked as a lawyer in Connecticut and before that was a political operative for Democratic candidates including McKee and former Attorney General Peter Kilmartin.

Vermont State Police said Farrell had a residence in Stowe, Vermont.

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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI governor senior advisor Christopher Farrell arrested in Vermont