Blanton defended his absence on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, because, he said, there were too many people on the grounds. 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. Driving the news: Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) praised the Biden administration for terminating Blanton. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. "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. 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. "The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job," House Speaker Kevin McCarthy tweeted Monday. 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. ), the chair of the panel, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) joined Morelle in demanding Blantons ouster on Monday, making the calls bipartisan. I think it may be, certainly of anyone with a position of power and a title. 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. 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.". Blanton denied wrongdoing in a Feb. 9 hearing. The Inspector Generals report was highly concerning, which is, in part, why our first hearing was dedicated to providing oversight over the AOC. 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. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Following the reports release, six Democrats who chair committees that oversee the AOC called for Blantons removal, explaining that, Based on the 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. Morelle called for Blantons resignation last week. 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. "I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new Architect immediately, he said. In Thursday's hearing, Blanton unequivocally denied that he did anything unethical. 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? I wholeheartedly reject any assertion that I engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country, Blanton said in the hearing. 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. Eli Lilly caps insulin costs at $35 per month, Shooting survivors American Idol tryout draws, Starbucks olive oil drinks a curiosity in Italy, Mansion shown on fire in listing pics gets new owner, Trooper rescues, adopts injured kitten on highway, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "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. The report is filled with errors, omissions, mischaracterizations, misstatements and conclusory statements lacking evidence.. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new architect immediately, Morelle said. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images. 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. 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. Previous:McCarthy calls on the Architect of the Capitol to resign after damaging IG report. Chairman Steil Calls on Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton to Resign pic.twitter.com/klFYGejkVv, House Admin. Biden ousted Brett Blanton, the previous capitol architect, earlier this month after an inspector generals report found that he misused his authority. 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. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately," McCarthy tweeted. [10] Congressional representatives called for Blanton to resign. The job of the Capitol architect is to manage the massive landmark and its surrounding grounds. Moreover, I have fully invested to ensure that I meet the responsibilities and the expectations of this role.. Spokane, Washington Est. Blanton was appointed to the role by former President Donald Trump in 2019. Blanton was three years into a 10-year-long term. Biden fires Architect of the Capitol after calls for his resignation, Your photos of ice and snow, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 18-year-old driver hospitalized after rollover wreck in Graves County, Man accused of killing KY officers dies by suicide in jail, WKYT reports, Speaking at Paducah City Commission meeting, former commission candidate Thomas says Commissioner David Guess should resign, Eli Lilly to cut insulin prices, cap costs at $35 for many people with diabetes, Kentucky State Police Posts 1, 2 holding numerous traffic safety checkpoints, Putin ally Lukashenko meets Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, Greek transport minister resigns over train crash; 36 dead, 2/28 Prep basketball highlights and scores, Community shares thoughts on roundabout proposal for Marshall County during public meeting, Chicago Mayor Lightfoot ousted; Vallas, Johnson in runoff. [1] He was sworn in on January 16, 2020.[7]. "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. 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 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. 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. (CNN) President Joe Biden fired the Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton on Monday following allegations that he misused government resources and was not physically present on the Capitol grounds during the January 6, 2021, insurrection, a White House official said. The board consists of the House sergeant at arms, the Senate sergeant at arms and doorkeeper and the architect of the Capitol. The Daily Caller | 1775 Eye Street NW | Suite 1150-290 | Washington, DC 20006. Blanton oversees a workforce of nearly 2,000 and is also part of the US Capitol Police Board. hide caption. Click WaPo: FBI resisted Mar-a-Lago raid, DoJ prosecutors demanded it. Mr. Blanton's incompetency is a danger to his office, and I join @RepJoeMorelle to call for his immediate resignation," Torres tweeted. Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), the ranking member on the House Administration Committee, welcomed Blanton's ouster. The report, released on October 2022, found that Blanton "abused his authority, misused government property, and wasted taxpayer money, among other substantiated violations." An inspector general report released in October found that Blanton and his family had misused Architect of the NPR's Scott Detrow contributed to this report. President Biden on Monday fired the Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton after a report alleged he abused his office. "His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately.". 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. 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. "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. His responsibilities include overseeing the Capitol's property management and operations. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, has been terminated, the White House said. House lawmakers grilled Blanton over the report in a House Administrationhearinglast week, where Blanton pushed back on the report. [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". I will say that the report is filled with errors, omissions, mischaracterizations, misstatements and conclusionary statements lacking evidence.". 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. 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. 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. You have permission to edit this article. 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. McCarthy joins House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) and ranking member Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.) in calling for the resignation of the Architect of the Capitol, who oversees the Capitol complexs building maintenance, preservation and development. "The Inspector General's report was highly concerning, which is, in part, why our first hearing was dedicated to providing oversight over the AOC. The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for maintaining and operating Capitol grounds, and sits on the Capitol Police Board. Committee GOP (@HouseAdmin) February 13, 2023, Democrats expressed anger with Blantons handling of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Rep. Bryan Steil, Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Administration Committee, called for Mr. Blantons immediate resignation on Monday. Calls for Mr. Blantons resignation grew since a contentious House hearing last week on the allegations of mismanagement highlighted in an October inspector generals report. The Biden administration on Monday "terminated" the Architect of the Capitol, the White House confirmed. 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. You can see things didnt go well for Blanton. In a statement Monday, Morelle praised Biden for doing "the right thing" by dismissing Blanton. The White House terminated Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton's appointment on Monday. 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. 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. President Biden on Monday fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton following allegations that he misrepresented himself as a law enforcement Blanton was responsible for the upkeep and operation of over 18 million square feet of buildings and 570 acres of land throughout the U.S. Capitol complex. A number of Democrats, including Torres, also called for Blanton's ouster. 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. Blanton did himself few favors with his testimony to the House Administration Committee last week in which he admitted to being absent from the Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack. Morelle called for Blantons resignation last week. He was nominated by Trump on Dec. 9, 2019. The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump and remained in the job when Biden came into office. Joe Biden should immediately FIRE AOC Blanton. The House Republicans' Twitter account on Friday requested Biden to remove Blanton immediately. Blanton was dismissed months after an inspector generals report substantiated claims that he had abused his authority. 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. ", "I wholeheartedly reject any assertation that I've engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country," Blanton said. Torres called for Blantons resignation shortly after the hearing. Democratic New York Rep. Joe Morelle, ranking member of the House Administration Committee, confirmed the firing in a statement. During the pandemic, Blanton reportedly gave tours of the U.S. Capitol despite the official closure of the building to the public. "All PATRIOTS welcome," one of her posts proclaimed. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. 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. 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.
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