), the chair of the panel, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) joined Morelle in demanding Blantons ouster on Monday, making the calls bipartisan. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. The Inspector General report accused Blanton of using his government-owned vehicle as his and his family's personal car and offering private tours of the Capitol in September 2020, when the building was closed due to COVID, among other abuses. Blanton could be removed only by the president because the architect of the Capitol is a presidential appointee confirmed by the Senate. President Biden on Monday fired the Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton after a report alleged he abused his office. Blanton was appointed to the role by former President Donald Trump in 2019. [5], President Donald Trump nominated Blanton on December 9, 2019, for a ten-year term as Architect of the Capitol. He was nominated by Trump on Dec. 9, 2019. 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. Morelle called for Blantons resignation last week. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, McCarthy. By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: American Digest, 3000 S. Hulen Street, Ste 124 #1064, Fort Worth, TX, 76109, US, https://americandigest.com. 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. Thanks to all who assisted in operation #Free@basedMikeLee. The board consists of the House sergeant at arms, the Senate sergeant at arms and doorkeeper and the architect of the Capitol. 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. According to the report, Blanton repeatedly misused his government-issued vehicle, misrepresented himself as a law enforcement officer, and led private tours of the Capitol. Mr. Blanton faced growing calls to step down from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy who urged his resignation on Monday. Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil, the Republican heading the committee, asked if Blanton had impersonated a law enforcement officer, as alleged in the report. (RELATED: Capitol Police Downplayed Intelligence From Security Firm Warning Of Capitol Riot). Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, has been terminated, the White House said. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also called for Blanton's dismissal Monday. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately," McCarthy tweeted. The abuse of government property charge includes allowing special treatment for his family. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump but has been accused of several infractions by both parties after a recent report. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. The Washington Times Greg Nash/AP Blanton, who remains the only member of the U.S. Capitol Police Board not to resign in the wake of the incident, also answered questions about his misuse of government-provided SUVs and deliberate misrepresentation of himself as a police officer among other accusations which include giving private tours to patriots in the weeks CNN has reached out to the office of the Architect of the Capitol for response to McCarthy's call for Blanton's resignation. The Inspector Generals report was highly concerning, which is, in part, why our first hearing was dedicated to providing oversight over the AOC. 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. "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. The office of the architect did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 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It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. 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 thats attached to it? A White House official confirmed the decision, telling Axios: [A]fter doing our due diligence, the Architect of Capitol was terminated at the president's direction.. 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. Even House Democrats think its time for Blanton to go, the tweet read. 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. There were aggressive calls for Blantons resignation immediately following the shocking violence that unfolded during the January 6, 2021 insurrection. He then served as Deputy Vice President for Engineering at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority which operates the Reagan National and Dulles International Airports. 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. 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. The investigation was prompted by a tip about Blanton's daughter recklessly driving an AOC Ford Explorer at a Walmart in Tyson's Corner. He wasnt able to drive there. Blanton was the only member of the Capitol Police Board who still had a job after the Jan. 6 riot. $12,434 in unreported, taxable noncash fringe benefits. Blanton also allegedly misrepresented himself as a law enforcement official. 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. 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. "The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. The big picture: An inspector general report last year accused Brett Blanton, who was appointed by former President Trump, Committee members characterized his performance as evasive, and Morelle responded by calling for his resignation. The report accused Blanton of ethics violations, abuse of government funds and wasting taxpayer money. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. The report noted that there was no official violation, but that these tours were not a good look. President Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton, who was responsible for maintaining the U.S. Capitol, amid mounting allegations of ethics violations. The Capitols architect oversees the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the U.S. Capitol complex. Blanton did himself few favors with his testimony to the House Administration Committee last week in which he admitted to being absent from the The complaint said that the black SUV's driver was "extremely reckless in the parking garage and swerving out of the garage at a high rate of speed, estimated to be about 65 miles per hour in a 30-mph zone.". One big strike against Blanton was the fact that he was not physically present on the Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021. Why a DC crime bill is creating big problems for, EPA proposal expected to expand sales of high-ethanol, House Republicans open investigation into role of, US intelligence: No evidence foreign adversaries, What to know about OKs recreational marijuana question, Oklahoma prepares for rec. On February 13, 2023, President Joe Biden terminated Blanton's appointment as Architect of the Capitol.[2]. He said he was using his official vehicle at the mobile command post. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump but has been Blantons refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the agency and must resign immediately, House Administration Committee chairman Bryan Steil added. 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. [9], As a result, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, an omnibus spending bill, included a clause in the AOC budget "That none of the funds appropriated or made available under this heading in this Act or any other Act, including previous Acts, may be used for a home-to-work vehicle for the Architect or a duly authorized designee". He has repeatedly abused taxpayer dollars.Even House Democrats think its time for Blanton to go. Blanton served in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps for 22 years. 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. President Biden did the right thing and heeded my call for action. A White House official said, After doing our due diligence, the Architect of the Capitol was terminated at the Presidents direction. Sleepy Joe has been busy lately giving orders shooting down balloons or objects out of the sky, and now ordering the termination of an employee. I am outraged to hear that you were be in a comfortable place, sir, while the rest of us were thinking about dying that day and how we were going to come out alive that day, Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) said during the hearing, saying that a police officer could not close or lock a door because he did not have the keys. Based on the conduct alleged by the Inspector General and todays testimony, I am no longer confident in Mr. Blantons ability to effectively perform the duties of his office. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. After all this, House Administration Committee Chairman Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) called for Blanton's resignation. The responsibilities of his job include overseeing the Capitols property management and operations, and as one of three board members, he oversees the U.S. Capitol Police. I will say that the report is filled with errors, omissions, mischaracterizations, misstatements and conclusionary statements lacking evidence.". This was all while the government was footing the bill for her travels. Blanton told committee members at last Thursday's hearing that he was "directing AOC personnel" from his government vehicle, which he said served as "AOC's mobile command post," during the riot but not on the Capitol grounds. Ranking member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) was so unsatisfied by Blantons performance, he called for his resignation #FireBlanton https://t.co/Ijf1xNCsxY. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. J. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, was grilled by House Committee on Administration members last week. 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