The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. "He should resign, or President Biden should remove him immediately," the California Republican added. 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 Inspector Generals report was highly concerning, which is, in part, why our first hearing was dedicated to providing oversight over the AOC. I wholeheartedly reject any assertion that I engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country, Blanton said in the hearing. However, a report from the Office of the Inspector General uncovered several troubling things about Blanton that have led to calls for President Joe Biden to remove him. Joe Biden should immediately FIRE AOC Blanton. President Joe Biden has fired embattled Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, who oversees the historic building that houses Congress and its expansive grounds, as pressure mounted for his removal following a scathing inspector general report of personal and management lapses. He came under fire after an inspector general report found 'administrative, ethical, and policy violations'. A number of Democrats, including Torres, also called for Blanton's ouster. 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 three years into a 10-year-long term. 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. Ranking member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) was so unsatisfied by Blantons performance, he called for his resignation #FireBlanton https://t.co/Ijf1xNCsxY. No Architect has ever been removed by Congress, but the Senate is considering legislation that would clarify that the position is subject to impeachment. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. NBC News has asked Blanton's office for comment. 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Marjorie Taylor Greene: Isnt she, Fight in high school classroom leaves one dead, one, School culture wars fuel top House GOP bill, Product safety commission requests information on, House Democrats gather to chart path toward 2024. "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. Why? 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. 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. 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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. Blanton, was grilled last week by members of the House Committee on Administration during a hearing to review a federal watchdog report. The report is filled with errors, omissions, mischaracterizations, misstatements and conclusory statements lacking evidence.. In Thursday's hearing, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle jumped on learning that Blanton was not physically present on Capitol grounds on the day of the insurrection, January 6, 2021. Driving the news: Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) praised the Biden administration for terminating Blanton. [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. The White House terminated Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton's appointment on Monday. The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex. Mr. Morelle praised the White Houses decision to remove Mr. Blanton, calling it the right thing.. 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. 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. He added that the Architect of the Capitol's "refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately.". NPR's Scott Detrow contributed to this report. "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. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, McCarthy. Blanton was dismissed months after an inspector generals report substantiated claims that he had abused his authority. He has repeatedly abused taxpayer dollars.Even House Democrats think its time for Blanton to go. Blanton responded that he did not have police radios and sufficient equipment in his house. 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. Blanton said it "would have been not prudent" to drive to the Capitol that day because of the crowds,and he told the panel of lawmakers that he instead used the car as his "mobile command center" during the attack. An investigation conducted by the Architect of the Capitol Inspector General's Office found Blanton had "abused his authority, misused government property and wasted taxpayer money, among other substantiated violations.". 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." President Biden on Monday fired the Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton after a report alleged he abused his office. Updated February 13, 2023 at 7:24 PM ET. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisc. 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. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new Architect immediately," he said in a statement. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new architect immediately, Morelle said. [1] He was sworn in on January 16, 2020.[7]. The Capitols architect oversees the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the U.S. Capitol complex. Members of Congress rejected his testimony, with several calling for him to resign. During the pandemic, Blanton reportedly gave tours of the U.S. Capitol despite the official closure of the building to the public. "His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately.". He was confirmed by a voice vote in the Republican-led Senate 10 days later. In the fall,an inspector general reportaccused 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. 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. "The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. In Thursday's hearing, Blanton unequivocally denied that he did anything unethical. 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. "Blanton told the other party involved that it was a government vehicle, he was an 'agent' and he did not have insurance information because the government would handle the insurance claim," according to the report. Outrageous that you were not here.. 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.". You can see things didnt go well for Blanton. Committee GOP (@HouseAdmin) February 13, 2023, Democrats expressed anger with Blantons handling of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for maintaining and operating Capitol grounds, and sits on the Capitol Police Board. J. Brett Blanton, the architect of the Capitol, speaks at the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting on Nov. 29. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump but has been After doing our due diligence, the Architect of [the] Capitol was terminated at the Presidents direction, the official said in a statement. "If I'm at Home Depot and something happens, there would be a delayed response getting to the Capitol," Blanton told lawmakers. 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. Maybe Morelle forgot that Democrats lost control of the House. The report noted that there was no official violation, but that these tours were not a good look. 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. 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 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 House Republicans' Twitter account on Friday requested Biden to remove Blanton immediately. The Inspector Generals report was highly concerning, which is, in part, why our first hearing was dedicated to providing oversight over 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. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. He has repeatedly abused taxpayer dollars. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously told reporters Monday that the administration was weighing its options. Blanton was Even House Democrats think its time for Blanton to go, the tweet read. 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 Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Based on that behavior, Blanton has also been accused of giving the impression that he was in law enforcement. 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. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Biden fired the Architect of the Capitol among bipartisan calls for his resignation. Spokane, Washington Est. 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 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. "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 denied wrongdoing in a Feb. 9 hearing. Some experts believe Congress has the authority to impeach Blanton, but others, including Steil, believe his ouster would require executive action since the Capitol architect is a position appointed by the president. here for reprint permission. In his opening statement, Blanton told the committee that he was "frustrated" with the OIG's report, which he said follows what he called a "predetermined" narrative based on what he considers "picked facts. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, the speaker tweeted Monday. Greg Nash/AP 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. ", 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.. Democratic New York Rep. Joe Morelle, ranking member of the House Administration Committee, confirmed the firing in a statement. "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. 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. 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. Rep. Bryan Steil, Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Administration Committee, called for Mr. Blantons immediate resignation on Monday. 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. Links are at the top of the House Do not Sell my Information. I wholeheartedly reject any assertion that i engaged in unethical behavior during service., called for Mr. Blantons immediate resignation on Monday violation, but that tours! Administration Committee, called for Mr. Blantons immediate resignation on Monday fired the Architect the... 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