The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. 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. 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. President Biden on Monday fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton following allegations that he misrepresented himself as a law enforcement 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. Blanton served in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps for 22 years. President Biden did the right thing and heeded my call for action. Ill note that it appears that Rep. Morelle is taking credit for Blantons termination. "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. He was sworn in on Jan. 16, 2020. An inspector generalreportreleased in October found that Blanton and his family had misused Architect of the Capitol vehicles intended for home-to-work use as personal vehicles, resulting in nearly $14,000 worth of inappropriate costs. 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. There were some $13,926.56 in costs attributed to the Ford Explorer. At the hearing, Blanton said he was frustrated by the current distraction created by the inspector generals report.. He referred to it as "an alternate work site" and said having to switch vehicles would slow him down. 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. Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil, the Republican heading the committee, asked if Blanton had impersonated a law enforcement officer, as alleged in the report. Haley Talbot is an associate producer in the NBC News Washington bureau. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump but has been 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. 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. Other members, including the ranking Democrat, Rep. Joe Morelle of New York, jumped on the admission by Blanton to question why he remained in the "mobile command center.". 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 job of the Capitol architect is to manage the massive landmark and its surrounding grounds. After recounting her experience of being stranded on a balcony during the insurrection, Democratic Rep. Norma Torres of California grew visibly frustrated. The big picture: An inspector general report last year accused Brett Blanton, who was appointed by former President Trump, of abusing his authority. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. The architect of the Capitol is tasked with maintaining and operating Capitol grounds, according to AOC.gov. On February 13, 2023, President Joe Biden terminated Blanton's appointment as Architect of the Capitol.[2]. The backdrop: The report found that Blanton serially misused government-issued vehicles for personal trips, and falsely identified himself as a law enforcement officer. After all this, House Administration Committee Chairman Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) called for Blanton's resignation. There were aggressive calls for Blantons resignation immediately following the shocking violence that unfolded during the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle jumped on that. Never use the company vehicle for personal business. Asked about the report earlier this month, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the White House is taking this very seriously and will take any advice that the members of Congress or any action that they want to take very seriously.. [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. marijuana special election, Voters re-elect members of Oklahoma City Council, Yukon bond election set for street improvements, Prominent Republicans hold off on backing Trump, Registration deadline approaching for recreational, Oklahoma voters to decide on massive school bond, Judge dismisses Kari Lakes last election challenges, DeSantis tops Trump by 23 points among Republicans, SCOTUS hears case to determine who controls elections, Trump hosts Mar-a-Lago event with prominent QAnon,, RNC chief on criticism of early voting: We need, John Bolton going to seriously consider challenging, Why Democrats are so optimistic about winning the, Arizona certifies 2022 election results amid threat, DNC panel votes to make South Carolina first nominating, Defeated Arizona hopeful Kari Lake sues Maricopa, Republican House majority climbs to 220 with win, Ex-Trump defense chief: Hes unfit for office,, OK rep calling for change to state Board of Education, Flashpoint: Should taxpayers pay for Catholic charter, Flashpoint team talks DEI, State of the Union, Flashpoint team talks recreational marijuana in OK, Flashpoint team talks classified documents, Ryan, Flashpoint team talks high-profile ruling regarding, Chocolate peanut butter cups recalled nationwide, Dish Network confirms cybersecurity breach, AAA urges these Honda owners to check for recalls, After death, blindness, FDA expands eye drop warning, 145K cans of baby formula recalled out of abundance, Netflix tackling password sharing: 3 things to know, FDA recalls Starbucks drink that may contain glass, Tesla recalling 362K vehicles due to crash risk, Disney character toys recalled over choking hazard, Childrens pajamas recalled over burn risk, OKC police update investigation into Hobby Lobby, Windshield covers and other handy gear you need for, 18 trendy cowboy boots to wear this winter, 18 books youll want to read on Dr. Seuss Day, WATCH: Trooper rescues and adopts injured kitten, Hero school bus driver saves student from passing, Graphic video shows student attacking teachers aide, DUI Driver plows into church, injures three, WATCH: Fleeing suspects car misses train by mere, Cameras capture suspects stealing $50,000 in handbags, Dish Network still reeling from week-old ransomware, TikTok sets new default time limits for minors, Edmunds: The most affordable EVs for 2023, Here are the countries that have bans on TikTok, This feature may be making your iPhone charge slower, Protesters to Norways energy minister: you talk, Man who asked where Capitol swamp rats were on, Jan. 6 rioter who carried Confederate flag sentenced, 47 years? 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. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER. 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. Joe Biden should immediately FIRE AOC Blanton. (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. Could you not have fulfilled the same function at home using a cell phone? Morelle asked Blanton. 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. 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." "He should resign, or President Biden should remove him immediately," the California Republican added. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new architect immediately, Morelle said. Steil suggested that Congress could reorganize the Capitol Police board in light of Blantons failure to be on Capitol grounds. Blanton could be removed only by the president because the architect of the Capitol is a presidential appointee confirmed by the Senate. IE 11 is not supported. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Moreover, I have fully invested to ensure that I meet the responsibilities and the expectations of this role.. Lawmakers are sounding the alarm after the CIA confirmed that China may be considering sending lethal arms to Russia. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. "All PATRIOTS welcome," one of her posts proclaimed. J. Brett Blanton, the architect of the Capitol, speaks at the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting on Nov. 29. He previously called for Blanton to be terminated. 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. On December 19, 2019, the full Senate confirmed his nomination by voice vote. Driving the news: Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) praised the Biden administration for terminating Blanton. His explanation of being off campus during the day of Jan. 6 enraged some lawmakers. 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