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. The misuse of the government vehicle resulted in "no less than $13,926.56 as net questioned costs," the report found. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump and remained in the job when Biden came into office. The report noted that there was no official violation, but that these tours were not a good look. 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. 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 report also said Blanton mischaracterized his government position, at one point chasing down a vehicle that was described as having been involved in a hit-and-run and misrepresenting himself as a law enforcement official. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump but has been accused of several infractions by both parties after a recent report. 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. On February 13, 2023, President Joe Biden terminated Blanton's appointment as Architect of the Capitol.[2]. The Architect of the Capitol is one of three members of the board that oversees the Capitol Police, along with the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms. NPR's Scott Detrow contributed to this report. 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. Could you not have fulfilled the same function at home using a cell phone?," Morelle asked Blanton. Mr. Blanton's incompetency is a danger to his office, and I join @RepJoeMorelle to call for his immediate resignation," Torres tweeted. "After being given the opportunity to respond to numerous allegations of legal, ethical, and administrative violations, and failing to directly respond, the President has removed Mr. Brett Blanton from his position a decision I firmly stand behind," Morelle said in a statement. ), the chair of the panel, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) joined Morelle in demanding Blantons ouster on Monday, making the calls bipartisan. In November 2022, a report from the office of the Inspector General found that Blanton and his family had repeatedly misused the resources of his office. CAPITOL HILL'S TOP MANAGER FACING MISCONDUCT HEARING FOR ALLEGED MISUSE OF POSITION. 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. NBC News has asked Blanton's office for comment. Blanton was appointed in 2019 by President Donald Trump to a ten-year term. Members of Congress rejected his testimony, with several calling for him to resign. Haley Talbot is an associate producer in the NBC News Washington bureau. Biden "terminated" Blanton amid bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation, including from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier on Monday, the official said. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously told reporters Monday that the administration was weighing its options. 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. He then served as Deputy Vice President for Engineering at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority which operates the Reagan National and Dulles International Airports. 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. Joe Biden should immediately FIRE AOC Blanton. 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. 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. 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. President Joe Biden fired the Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton on Monday following allegations that he misused government resources and was not The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Committee GOP (@HouseAdmin) February 13, 2023, Democrats expressed anger with Blantons handling of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. I wholeheartedly reject any assertion I have engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country, he said. In his opening statement he had noted that the AOC vehicle is to allow the architect to support the Capitol in a remote capacity, and that "it is inaccurate to characterize the state of the vehicle is only for home to work purposes.". "He should resign, or President Biden should remove him immediately," the California Republican added. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. He referred to it as "an alternate work site" and said having to switch vehicles would slow him down. (RELATED: Capitol Police Downplayed Intelligence From Security Firm Warning Of Capitol Riot). The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Rep. Bryan Steil, Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Administration Committee, called for Mr. Blantons immediate resignation on Monday. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisc. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. The Blanton familys use of agency vehicles added up to at least $12,434 in unreported, taxable noncash fringe benefits. Blanton also allegedly misrepresented himself as a law enforcement official. His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately," said Steil. Blanton responded that he did not have police radios and sufficient equipment in his house. Mica Soellner can be reached at msoellner@washingtontimes.com. Blanton is one of three voting members of the United States Capitol Police Board, which oversees the USCP. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, has been terminated, the White House said. He wasnt able to drive there. Biden terminated Blanton after bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation were sounded by members of Congress, including Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday. I wholeheartedly reject any assertion that I have engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country while serving in this particular role, I have taken my commitment to transform the agencys culture to promote a positive workplace for every AOC employee, Blanton said. 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. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. After being given the opportunity to respond to numerous allegations of legal, ethical, and administrative violations, and failing to directly respond, the President has removed Mr. Brett Blanton from his position a decision I firmly stand behind, Mr. Morelle said in a statement. Last year, a handful of lawmakers called for Blantons resignation, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the head of the Rules Committee, and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), who led the Administration Committee at the time. Blanton responded that he did not have police radios and sufficient equipment in his house. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, McCarthy. The inspector general found that Blanton's wife made "multiple social media posts" about the tours. Blanton was appointed to the role by former President Donald Trump in 2019. Flip. [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. Doctors prescribe Ozempic off label: Is that OK? Blanton did himself few favors with his testimony to the House Administration Committee last week in which he admitted to being absent from the I will say that the report is filled with errors, omissions, mischaracterizations, misstatements and conclusionary statements lacking evidence.". Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News. 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. "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. You can see things didnt go well for Blanton. 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. The big picture: An inspector general report last year accused Brett Blanton, who was appointed by former President Trump, of abusing his authority. Blanton was nominated by former President Trump to a 10-year term as Architect of the Capitol and was confirmed by the Senate in December 2019. Could you not have fulfilled the same function at home using a cell phone? Morelle asked Blanton. "The Inspector Generals report was highly concerning," Steil said. ", 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.. The backdrop: The report found that Blanton serially misused government-issued vehicles for personal trips, and falsely identified himself as a law enforcement officer. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisc. The committee hearing was to review an inspector general report. 2023 - The American Digest - All Rights Reserved, Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton fired by Joe Biden after Kevin McCarthy demanded resignation, Watchdog group finds Capitol Police and FBI ignored "credible threats" prior to Jan. 6th riot at the Capitol, Elizabeth Warren's CFPB to have fate determined by Supreme Court, Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announces resignation from the Biden administration, Up to 14 million will lose Medicaid coverage over next 12 months, After leaving the GOP,87-year-old New Jersey state senator abandons his reelection bid, Ted Cruz says Dr. Fauci will be responsible for future pandemic deaths, Don Lemon removed from key hosting role by CNN after Haley remarks. Blanton denied wrongdoing in a Feb. 9 hearing. All Rights Reserved. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, McCarthy said in a tweet on Monday. 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 was sworn in on Jan. 16, 2020. The Biden administration on Monday "terminated" the Architect of the Capitol, the White House confirmed. Steil also called for Blanton to resign Monday. 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. Blanton defended his absence on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, because, he said, there were too many people on the grounds. "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. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images. CNN has reached out to the office of the Architect of the Capitol for response to McCarthy's call for Blanton's resignation. - Calls for Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blantons ouster or resignation are getting louder in the wake of a fiery House Administration hearing earlier this week. 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. In Thursday's hearing, Blanton unequivocally denied that he did anything unethical. He previously called for Blanton to be terminated. It sure looks like he was derelict in his duties. Dear President Biden: War in Ukraine isnt just about Ukraine, There can be no genuine budget discipline without entitlement reform, Two birds, one stone: 1619 Project vindicates capitalism. An inspector general report released in October found that Blanton and his family had misused Architect of the The House Republicans' Twitter account on Friday requested Biden to remove Blanton immediately. "Offering private tours of the U.S. Capitol creates the appearance of impropriety and using a public position for private gain, which is a violation of AOC policy," the report said. The White House said Monday that Blantons Following the reports release, six Democrats who chair committees that oversee the AOC called for Blantons removal, explaining that, Based on the Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told NBC News, I agree with the presidents decision to fire the architect.". 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. 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. Democratic New York Rep. Joe Morelle, ranking member of the House Administration Committee, confirmed the firing in a statement. Previous:McCarthy calls on the Architect of the Capitol to resign after damaging IG report. Zoom out: The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the maintenance and preservation of the Capitol and its surrounding grounds, which includes the House and Senate office buildings. President Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, the Western Journal reported. 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 "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? When asked if he had used a government vehicle for personal use, Blanton said that he wouldn't characterize his use of the vehicle as personal. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately," McCarthy wrote. The report, released on October 2022, found that Blanton "abused his authority, misused government property, and wasted taxpayer money, among other substantiated violations." On December 19, 2019, the full Senate confirmed his nomination by voice vote. Based on that behavior, Blanton has also been accused of giving the impression that he was in law enforcement. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new Architect immediately," he said in a statement. WebPresident Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, the Western Journal reported. He noted that the vehicle has a Capitol Police Department radio that he used to get real-time information to make leadership decisions during the riot. The move comes after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) urged the president to oust Blanton on Monday, contending that he lost faith in him. Updated February 13, 2023 at 7:24 PM ET. Ill note that it appears that Rep. Morelle is taking credit for Blantons termination. Meanwhile, the inspector general's report said Blanton's adult child called it "free gas" for her. The report accused Blanton of ethics violations, abuse of government funds, and wasting taxpayer money. [4] He retired from the Navy in 2015. In an exchange with the committee chairman, Republican Rep. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, Blanton defended not being at the Capitol during the insurrection because he claimed he was unable to drive there since there were so many people on the grounds. The Republican chairman of the committee, Rep. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, called for Blantons resignation after he engaged in an exchange with him. 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.. The abuse of government property charge includes allowing special treatment for his family. The job of the Capitol architect is to manage the massive landmark and its surrounding grounds. The AOC IG report also details a minor accident involving Blanton at a Virginia brewery involving another driver who backed into the government SUV while it was improperly parked. "The Inspector General's report was highly concerning, which is, in part, why our first hearing was dedicated to providing oversight over the AOC," Steil said. Blanton, was grilled last week by members of the House Committee on Administration during a hearing to review a federal watchdog report. The White House terminated Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton's appointment on Monday. 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. [10] Congressional representatives called for Blanton to resign. After being given the opportunity to respond to numerous allegations of legal, ethical, and administrative violations, and failing to directly respond, the President has removed Mr. Brett Blanton from his position a decision I firmly stand behind, he said. The driver turned out to be Blanton's daughter, who also "made obscene gestures toward" the complainant "while at the stop sign outside the parking garage." document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. 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. WaPo: FBI resisted Mar-a-Lago raid, DoJ prosecutors demanded it. Morelle also pressed him about why he didn't use the car to go to the Capitol on Jan. 6, the "greatest emergency the Capitol has faced in the last two centuries.". 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. Greg Nash/AP Joe Biden should immediately FIRE AOC Blanton. J. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, was grilled by House Committee on Administration members last week. 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. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. House lawmakers grilled Blanton over the report in a House Administrationhearinglast week, where Blanton pushed back on the report. 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