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. Outrageous that you were not here.. here for reprint permission. 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. 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, said Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.) the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee. Blanton oversees a workforce of nearly 2,000 and is also part of the US Capitol Police Board. He wasnt able to drive there. 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.". This was all while the government was footing the bill for her travels. The board consists of the House sergeant at arms, the Senate sergeant at arms and doorkeeper and the architect of the Capitol. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex. The White House terminated Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton's appointment on Monday. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. WaPo: FBI resisted Mar-a-Lago raid, DoJ prosecutors demanded it. The misuse of the government vehicle resulted in "no less than $13,926.56 as net questioned costs," the report found. Ill note that it appears that Rep. Morelle is taking credit for Blantons termination. CAPITOL HILL'S TOP MANAGER FACING MISCONDUCT HEARING FOR ALLEGED MISUSE OF POSITION The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no He referred to it as "an alternate work site" and said having to switch vehicles would slow him down. The Architect was not on-site during the riot, but worked out of his government car. Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil, the Republican heading the committee, asked if Blanton had impersonated a law enforcement officer, as alleged in the report. 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]. Blanton was appointed in 2019 by President Donald Trump to a ten-year term. 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 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. Joe Biden should immediately FIRE AOC Blanton. The White House said Monday that Blantons 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. [5], President Donald Trump nominated Blanton on December 9, 2019, for a ten-year term as Architect of the Capitol. Haley Talbot is an associate producer in the NBC News Washington bureau. Blanton was dismissed months after an inspector generals report substantiated claims that he had abused his authority. Mr. Blanton's incompetency is a danger to his office, and I join @RepJoeMorelle to call for his immediate resignation," Torres tweeted. U.S. Capitol Architect, Brett Blanton, remains under scrutiny after an intense House of Administration hearing, last Thursday. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Biden "terminated" Blanton amid bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation, including from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier on Monday, the official said. The inspector general was first alerted to these problems through a complaint on a hotline on March 7, 2021. It sure looks like he was derelict in his duties. The committees top Democrat, Rep. Joseph D. Morelle of New York, also called for Mr. Blanton to step down. 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. 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", 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.. Whats Biden waiting for when it comes to 2024? The job of the Capitol architect is to manage the massive landmark and its surrounding grounds. The committee hearing was to review an inspector general report. J. Brett Blanton, the architect of the Capitol, speaks at the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting on Nov. 29. 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 "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. Could you not have fulfilled the same function at home using a cell phone?," Morelle asked Blanton. Click 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. 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 backdrop: The report found that Blanton serially misused government-issued vehicles for personal trips, and falsely identified himself as a law enforcement officer. 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 abused his authority and misused taxpayer money overseeing the Capitol complex. 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. 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. 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. Democratic New York Rep. Joe Morelle, ranking member of the House Administration Committee, confirmed the firing in a statement. Committee GOP (@HouseAdmin) February 13, 2023, Democrats expressed anger with Blantons handling of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Biden terminated Blanton after bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation were sounded by members of Congress, including Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday. Could you not have fulfilled the same function at home using a cell phone? Morelle asked Blanton. Blanton defended his absence on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, because, he said, there were too many people on the grounds. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously told reporters Monday that the administration was weighing its options. 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 The Inspector Generals report was highly concerning, Steil said. I look forward to continuing to conduct robust oversight to ensure our government is accountable to the American people, Steil said in a statement on Monday. If you want the facts, then sign up below and join our movement for objective news: Get news from American Digest in your inbox. I wholeheartedly reject any assertion that I engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country, Blanton said in the hearing. His responsibilities include overseeing the Capitol's property management and operations. 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