The board and its structure, as well as its ability to quickly authorize outside assistance during emergencies, came under scrutiny after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. An investigation conducted by the Architect of the Capitol Inspector General's Office found Blanton had "abused his authority, misused government property and wasted taxpayer money, among other substantiated violations.". If you want the facts, then sign up below and join our movement for objective news: Get news from American Digest in your inbox. The committees top Democrat, Rep. Joseph D. Morelle of New York, also called for Mr. Blanton to step down. Whats Biden waiting for when it comes to 2024? Biden "terminated" Blanton amid bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation, including from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier on Monday, the official said. [3] Blanton is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering and a Certified Energy Manager. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER. Blanton appeared before the House Administration Committee last Thursday after he was the subject of an explosive inspector general report in October that highlighted a series of alleged abuses of the office. The House Republicans' Twitter account on Friday requested Biden to remove Blanton immediately. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also called for Blanton's dismissal Monday. The federal watchdog also accused Blanton, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, of ethics violations over an offer to provide tours to "patriots" weeks before the November 2020 election. Biden ousted Brett Blanton, the previous capitol architect, earlier this month after an inspector generals report found that he misused his authority. here for reprint permission. Mr. Blanton was accused in the report of misrepresenting himself as a law enforcement officer, leading banned tours of the Capitol and misusing his government-issued vehicle. Following the reports release, six Democrats who chair committees that oversee the AOC called for Blantons removal, explaining that, Based on the Moreover, I have fully invested to ensure that I meet the responsibilities and the expectations of this role.. Republican members on the panel were infuriated when Blanton, who was appointed in 2019 and was in charge of the Capitol's security, cited pandemic work-from-home policies when asked why he was not on site the morning of Jan. 6. The inspector generals report, released in October, said Blanton had misused his government vehicle by driving it to vacation destinations and allowing his family to use it for personal matters. Bill would get rid of the Democratic Party in Fla. Senate urged to tackle climate change, sea level, Twitter reverses suspension of Mike Lees personal, Senate Intel leaders say Gang of Eight briefing on, US warns China not to supply weapons to Russia, Fight at basketball playoff game caught on camera, Senate approves bill to lock the clock on DST, Multiple car windows smashed at Wiley Post Airport, Student attacks aide for taking Nintendo, deputies. President Biden on Monday fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton following allegations that he misrepresented himself as a law enforcement officer and led banned tours, among other charges. An Inspector General report released in October 2022 found that Blanton and his family improperly used agency vehicles, taking them to West Virginia, Florida, and South Carolina. Blanton reportedly allowed the vehicle to be operated by his adult daughter and his wife against regulations while the American taxpayers footed the bill. R-Wisconsin, also called on Blanton to immediately resign. Committee members characterized his performance as evasive, and Morelle responded by calling for his resignation. Blanton denied misrepresenting himself as law enforcement, saying that it was a mistake on the part of Fairfax County Police after Blanton identified himself a Capitol Police Board Member.. Copyright 2023 HotAir.com/Salem Media. Meanwhile, the inspector general's report said Blanton's adult child called it "free gas" for her. WASHINGTON - Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI) today issued the following statement calling on Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton to immediately resign: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) plays a key role in preserving ", The call was echoed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who tweeted that Blanton "no longer has my confidence to continue in his job.. Biden terminated Blanton after bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation were sounded by members of Congress, including Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday. "If you need to be tethered, and if you needed a vehicle to be here, why did you make the decision not to come here and could you not have without the vehicle and all the emergency equipment that's attached to it? Blanton was the only member of the Capitol Police Board who still had a job after the Jan. 6 riot. "We took a look at the whole situation, having dealt with this guy for a while, and I think the president made the right decision, he said. [1], Blanton was terminated from his position after an inspector general's report found "administrative, ethical and policy violations" by Blanton, including allegations that he misused his government vehicle and misrepresented himself as a law enforcement official.[2]. The Capitols architect oversees the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the U.S. Capitol complex. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact. Blanton responded that he did not have police radios and sufficient equipment in his house. The big picture: An inspector general report last year accused Brett Blanton, who was appointed by former President Trump, of abusing his authority. Lawmakers are sounding the alarm after the CIA confirmed that China may be considering sending lethal arms to Russia. Twitter reversed the suspension of Sen. Mike Lees (R-Utah) personal account on Wednesday afternoon, hours after it was locked for unknown reasons. Lee appeared to regain access to his @BasedMikeLee account around 2:30 p.m., when users were able to see his Tweets once again. 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CAPITOL HILL'S TOP MANAGER FACING MISCONDUCT HEARING FOR ALLEGED MISUSE OF POSITION. Architect of the U.S. Capitol Brett Blanton testifies before the House Administration Committee in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill on February 9. Rep. Joe Morelle, D-N.Y., asked how that squared with the inspector general report's finding that Blanton's wife and daughter would sometimes take the car without him. Biden terminated Blanton after bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation were sounded by members of Congress, including Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday. After all this, House Administration Committee Chairman Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) called for Blanton's resignation. hide caption. "As Ranking Member of the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight, I found Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton's answers at today's hearing appalling. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately," McCarthy wrote. Previous:McCarthy calls on the Architect of the Capitol to resign after damaging IG report. On December 19, 2019, the full Senate confirmed his nomination by voice vote. In the fall, an inspector general report accused Blanton of abuse of government property and wasting taxpayer dollars by allowing his family to drive a government-owned vehicle and taking the vehicle on out-of-town trips to South Carolina and Florida, according to the report. The Senate Budget Committee held a hearing on the impact of climate change and sea level rise on coastal communities as lawmakers reach an impasse on addressing the problem. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, has been terminated, the White House said. Democratic lawmakers are calling for the resignation of J. Brett Blanton, the architect of the Capitol, over a scathing federal watchdog report that found he abused his [10] Congressional representatives called for Blanton to resign. The Inspector Generals report was highly concerning, Steil said. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. Morelle and ranking member Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA) on the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight each called on Blanton to step down Thursday after the hearing. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new architect immediately, Morelle said. NBC News has asked Blanton's office for comment. In another instance, he called himself an "agent" after he got in an accident at a brewery while using the vehicle on vacation, the report found. Rep. Bryan Steil, Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Administration Committee, called for Mr. Blantons immediate resignation on Monday. The architect of the Capitol is tasked with maintaining and operating Capitol grounds, according to AOC.gov. Blanton responded that he did not have police radios and sufficient equipment in his house. James Brett Blanton is an American professional engineer who served as Architect of the Capitol (AOC) from January 2020 until February 13, 2023 overseeing the office of the Architect of the Capitol and its more than 2,400 employees. [8] Multiple instances of the Blanton family misusing government cars for personal use were documented in the report, which also documented how Blanton's wife gave unauthorized tours of the U.S. Capitol and that Blanton misrepresented himself as a police officer. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, McCarthy tweeted Monday. The abuse of government property charge includes allowing special treatment for his family. Never use the company vehicle for personal business. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) called for the Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton to step down or be removed by President Biden, adding to bipartisan outrage over an inspector general report that found he misused a government vehicle and allegedly impersonated a law enforcement officer, among other ethics issues. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately. Blanton maintained at last weeks hearing that he needed to take the car with him on personal errands and vacations in case he needed to return to the Capitol or respond to an emergency, because it was equipped with certain communications devices. He obviously The report, released on October 2022, found that Blanton "abused his authority, misused government property, and wasted taxpayer money, among other substantiated violations." We publish the objective news, period. Could you not have fulfilled the same function at home using a cell phone?," Morelle asked Blanton. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe link, found at the bottom of every email. The president fired Blanton after the White House did "due diligence," a White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel issues. His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately, Mr. Steil said in a statement. Committee Chair Bryan Steil, R-Wis., called on Blanton to resign Monday, saying in a statement that his "refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clearthat he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately. Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), the ranking member on the House Administration Committee, welcomed Blanton's ouster. Blanton served in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps for 22 years. The result was mixed, Majority of voters, plurality of Democrats say Biden is too old to run again, *Gulp* Finland is building a wall on Russia's border, Maher on CNN: If its Biden against Trump, Biden will win thats a good bet", George Santos' CNN Response Is a Master Troll Move, Biden owns border critics with chuckling reminder this mom's sons died of fentanyl overdoses in 2020, Shock Report: FBI Agents Did Not Want to Raid Mar-a-Lago. President Biden fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton Monday after lawmakers from both sides of the aisle demanded he resign or be fired. It sure looks like he was derelict in his duties. Blanton, was grilled last week by members of the House Committee on Administration during a hearing to review a federal watchdog report. The vehicle was driven for some 30,000 miles despite limitations to use for official work only. The board consists of the House sergeant at arms, the Senate sergeant at arms and doorkeeper and the architect of the Capitol. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. President Joe Biden removed Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton from his post days after House lawmakers grilled him about his reported misuse of government resources. Please show us the Experts Clause of the Constitution, Justices Sotomayor and Kagan, Jon Stewart to the Left, media: Told you so about the lab leak, St. Louis newspaper publishes response to gender clinic worker's story. Blanton was three years into a 10-year-long term. President Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton, a White House official told NBC News on Monday, in the wake of a report that said he had Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, "PN1324 - Nomination of J. Brett Blanton for Congress of the United States, 116th Congress (2019-2020)", "Biden Fires Architect Of The Capitol Over Alleged Abuse Of Power", "Airport engineer nominated to be next Architect of the Capitol in Washington, D.C.", "J. Brett Blanton Nominated as Architect of the Capitol", "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Individuals to Key Administration Posts", 2021-0011-INVI-P J. Brett Blanton, Architect of the Capitol, Abused His Authority, Misused Government Property and Wasted Taxpayer Money, Among Other Substantiated Violations, Federal watchdog accuses Architect of the Capitol of ethics violations over offer to give patriots tours, "J. Brett Blanton on track to become next architect of the Capitol", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brett_Blanton&oldid=1139250130, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 04:19. In Thursday's hearing, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle jumped on learning that Blanton was not physically present on Capitol grounds on the day of the insurrection, January 6, 2021. "We take the IG report seriously and the request from members of Congress seriously as well and are evaluating next steps," she said. Blanton also stated that on January 6 he was using his official vehicle as the Architect of the Capitol's mobile command post. Joe Biden should immediately FIRE AOC Blanton. Blanton could be removed only by the president because the architect of the Capitol is a presidential appointee confirmed by the Senate. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. After doing our due diligence, the Architect of [the] Capitol was terminated at the Presidents direction, the official said in a statement. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, McCarthy tweeted Monday. "I am outraged that you would be in a comfortable place while the rest of us were thinking about dying that day and how we were going to come out alive that day, outrageous that you were not here," she said. It said he committed "administrative, ethical and policy violations," including misuse of a government-issued vehicle and falsely giving the impression that he was a member of law enforcement. Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton was fired by President Biden Monday for a series of ethical violations, including his not being present on the grounds during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. The pandemic popped San Francisco's progressive bubble, The cost of the Federal Reserve's 'full employment': Migrant child labor, Lori Lightfoot's next dancing TikTok video should be to "Bye Bye Bye", TikTok restricts teenager screen time as it faces threat of national ban, Lightfoot is out: Chicago mayor out four years after breaking onto scene as rising star, Republicans could force Bidens first veto with fights over ESG and DC crime law, Protesters thrown out of House China committee's first prime-time hearing. Architect of the Capitol, Office of the Inspector General. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously told reporters Monday that the administration was weighing its options. "The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Last week, he was pressed about those findings and other issues, such as his absence from the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, as he was testifying before the House Administration Committee. President Biden fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton Monday after lawmakers from both sides of the aisle demanded he resign or be fired. His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately," said Steil. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. A White House official told CNN that Biden terminated Blanton on Monday following bipartisan calls for his resignation, echoed that day by House Speaker Kevin J. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, was grilled by House Committee on Administration members last week. The report also found that Blanton had been improperly identified as an off-duty police officer during an incident when he chased down a hit-and-run that happened outside his residence. 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