Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, - Blanton also stated that on January 6 he was using his official vehicle as the Architect of the Capitol's mobile command post. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "All PATRIOTS welcome," one of her posts proclaimed. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately. The committees top Democrat, Rep. Joseph D. Morelle of New York, also called for Mr. Blanton to step down. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also called for Blanton's dismissal Monday. President Biden did the right thing and heeded my call for action. Blanton responded that he did not have police radios and sufficient equipment in his house. 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. Chairman Steil Calls on Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton to Resign pic.twitter.com/klFYGejkVv, House Admin. No Architect has ever been removed by Congress, but the Senate is considering legislation that would clarify that the position is subject to impeachment. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday called on Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton to resign after damaging inspector general report last fall. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, McCarthy tweeted Monday. Maybe Morelle forgot that Democrats lost control of the House. 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. Morelle called for Blantons resignation last week. Blanton was the only member of the Capitol Police Board who still had a job after the Jan. 6 riot. 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," the California Republican added. Monday, February 13, 2023, The Front Page Podcast: Pumping the Brakes, NEW: Its not polite to pretend boys can be girls, SCOTUS takes on Bidens student debt agenda, Click Mr. Blanton was accused in the report of misrepresenting himself as a law enforcement officer, leading banned tours of the Capitol and misusing his government-issued vehicle. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. The inspector general was first alerted to these problems through a complaint on a hotline on March 7, 2021. 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 There were aggressive calls for Blantons resignation immediately following the shocking violence that unfolded during the January 6, 2021 insurrection. He then served as Deputy Vice President for Engineering at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority which operates the Reagan National and Dulles International Airports. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously told reporters Monday that the administration was weighing its options. Blanton said he was monitoring developments remotely during the Jan. 6 riot. I will say that the report is filled with errors, omissions, mischaracterizations, misstatements and conclusionary statements lacking evidence.". 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. 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. Blanton reportedly allowed the vehicle to be operated by his adult daughter and his wife against regulations while the American taxpayers footed the bill. Blanton responded that he did not have police radios and sufficient equipment in his house. 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. 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. The report accused Blanton of ethics violations, abuse of government funds, and wasting taxpayer money. 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. President Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton, who was responsible for maintaining the U.S. Capitol, amid mounting allegations of ethics violations. Blanton said in the hearing that he used the vehicle during an out-of-state family vacation because he was under the impression that I had to use that vehicle so he could have quick communication with the Capitol Police Board in case of any emergency. "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. The Daily Caller | 1775 Eye Street NW | Suite 1150-290 | Washington, DC 20006. 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 He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, McCarthy. [4] He retired from the Navy in 2015. Im outraged that you would 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, Democratic California Rep. Norma Torres said at the hearing. I think it may be, certainly of anyone with a position of power and a title. $12,434 in unreported, taxable noncash fringe benefits. Blanton also allegedly misrepresented himself as a law enforcement official. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Architect of the Capitol, Office of the Inspector General. 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.". The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. The inspector general found that Blanton's wife made "multiple social media posts" about the tours. 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. 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. WebPresident Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, the Western Journal reported. President Biden did the right thing and heeded my call for action. Meanwhile, the inspector general's report said Blanton's adult child called it "free gas" for her. Frank Thorp V is a producer and off-air reporter covering Congress for NBC News, managing coverage of the Senate. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new Architect immediately," he said in a statement. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. IE 11 is not supported. A White House official told CNN that Biden terminated Blanton on Monday following bipartisan calls for his resignation, echoed that day by House Speaker Kevin 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. A number of Democrats, including Torres, also called for Blanton's ouster. One big strike against Blanton was the fact that he was not physically present on the Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, has been terminated, the White House said. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisc. [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. Copyright 2023 HotAir.com/Salem Media. 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 dismissed months after an inspector generals report substantiated claims that he had abused his authority. 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 appointed by former President Donald Trump and remained in the job when Biden came into office. Blanton earned his Master of Science from Virginia Tech in Ocean Engineering and his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 1993. Blanton served in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps for 22 years. Previous:McCarthy calls on the Architect of the Capitol to resign after damaging IG report. R-Wisconsin, also called on Blanton to immediately resign. I wholeheartedly reject any assertion I have engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country, he said. 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. If you want the facts, then sign up below and join our movement for objective news: Get news from American Digest in your inbox. Did You Ever Wonder How and Why the Left Is Able to Push Their Narratives Almost Unhindered? 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." Is this the first termination that Biden has carried out? 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. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R The Washington Times ", "I wholeheartedly reject any assertation that I've engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country," Blanton said. Regardless of who has appointed them, government officials who misuse their privileges must be removed from their positions. Biden "terminated" Blanton amid bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation, including from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier on Monday, the official said. "If I'm at Home Depot and something happens, there would be a delayed response getting to the Capitol," Blanton told lawmakers. Joe Biden should immediately FIRE AOC Blanton. He was sworn in on Jan. 16, 2020. Action-backed rhetoric fuels uncandidate DeSantis' launch strategy, I asked ChatGPT to invent a new cocktail. Blanton denied any ethical violations during the hearing on Thursday. Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil, the Republican heading the committee, asked if Blanton had impersonated a law enforcement officer, as alleged in the report. Ranking Democrat Rep. Joe Morelle of New York questioned why he remained in the mobile command center. The White House said Monday that Blantons 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.". Could you not have fulfilled the same function at home using a cell phone? Morelle asked Blanton. 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, McCarthy said in a tweet on Monday. 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. The abuse of government property charge includes allowing special treatment for his family. CNN President Joe Biden fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton on Monday following allegations that he misused government resources and was not Driving the news: Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) praised the Biden administration for terminating Blanton. We publish the objective news, period. Biden terminated Blanton after bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation were sounded by members of Congress, including Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday. 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The job of the Capitol architect is to manage the massive landmark and its surrounding grounds. The Inspector Generals report was highly concerning, Steil said. 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. 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.. 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. President Biden on Monday fired the Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton after a report alleged he abused his office. - Blanton was appointed in 2019 by President Donald Trump to a ten-year term. Blanton was nominated to a 10-year term by former President Donald Trump; he started the job in January 2020. CAPITOL HILL'S TOP MANAGER FACING MISCONDUCT HEARING FOR ALLEGED MISUSE OF POSITION The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no Mr. Morelle praised the White Houses decision to remove Mr. Blanton, calling it the right thing.. The inspector general's report was released last fall, but Blanton found himself in the hot seat again last week during a House Administration Committee hearing, where he told lawmakers that he wasn't on the grounds during the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. 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. Rep. Bryan Steil, Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Administration Committee, called for Mr. Blantons immediate resignation on Monday. The Capitols architect oversees the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the U.S. Capitol complex. 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 Inspector Generals report was highly concerning," Steil said. The Republican chairman of the committee, Rep. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, called for Blantons resignation after he engaged in an exchange with him. Greg Nash/AP "The Inspector General's report was highly concerning, which is, in part, why our first hearing was dedicated to providing oversight over the AOC. He said he was using his official vehicle at the mobile command post. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe link, found at the bottom of every email. 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 White House terminated Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton's appointment on Monday. This was all while the government was footing the bill for her travels. The complaint said that the black SUV's driver was "extremely reckless in the parking garage and swerving out of the garage at a high rate of speed, estimated to be about 65 miles per hour in a 30-mph zone.". 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," said Steil. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately. 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 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]. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. 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. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News. Blanton denied wrongdoing in a Feb. 9 hearing. 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 wholeheartedly reject any assertion that I engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country, Blanton said in the hearing. "His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately.". "You would have to address that with members of my family," Blanton responded. [1], Blanton was terminated from his position after an inspector general's report found "administrative, ethical and policy violations" by Blanton, including allegations that he misused his government vehicle and misrepresented himself as a law enforcement official.[2]. The House Republicans' Twitter account on Friday requested Biden to remove Blanton immediately. 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. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump but has been accused of several infractions by both parties after a recent report. [6] On December 12, 2019, the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration held a hearing on his nomination. Members of Congress rejected his testimony, with several calling for him to resign. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately," McCarthy wrote. He was the only member of the board who did not resign or lose 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. 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. Blantons dismissal came just hours after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said he had lost confidence in Blanton and "We take the IG report seriously and the request from members of Congress seriously as well and are evaluating next steps," she said. "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? On December 16, 2019, the Committee reported his nomination favorably to the Senate floor. Blanton said in last weeks hearing that his vehicle served as the Architect of the Capitols mobile command post during Jan. 6, 2021, during the Capitol attack, and did not go to the Capitol during the attack because there would have been next to no way to get onto this campus.. Democratic lawmakers are calling for the resignation of J. Brett Blanton, the architect of the Capitol, over a scathing federal watchdog report that found he abused his Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), the ranking member on the House Administration Committee, welcomed Blanton's ouster. House lawmakers grilled Blanton over the report in a House Administrationhearinglast week, where Blanton pushed back on the report. All of those elements played into the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill. Following the reports release, six Democrats who chair committees that oversee the AOC called for Blantons removal, explaining that, Based on the 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. He came under fire after an inspector general report found 'administrative, ethical, and policy violations'. You have permission to edit this article. "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. 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 U.S. Capitol Architect, Brett Blanton, remains under scrutiny after an intense House of Administration hearing, last Thursday. 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. 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. It sure looks like he was derelict in his duties. Mica Soellner can be reached at msoellner@washingtontimes.com. You can see things didnt go well for Blanton. Could you not have fulfilled the same function at home using a cell phone?," Morelle asked Blanton. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. 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. Shortly after McCarthys tweet, Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), the chairman of the House Administration Committee, joined calls for Blanton's resignation. President Biden on Monday fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton following allegations that he misrepresented himself as a law enforcement officer and led banned tours, among other charges. 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. NBC News has asked Blanton's office for comment. 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. 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. 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. J. Brett Blanton, the architect of the Capitol, speaks at the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting on Nov. 29. [1] He was sworn in on January 16, 2020.[7]. WebPresident Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, the Western Journal reported. Blanton, was grilled last week by members of the House Committee on Administration during a hearing to review a federal watchdog report. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. "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. 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. Blanton could be removed only by the president because the architect of the Capitol is a presidential appointee confirmed by the Senate. The report noted that there was no official violation, but that these tours were not a good look. Biden ousted Brett Blanton, the previous capitol architect, earlier this month after an inspector generals report found that he misused his authority. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER. Biden terminated Blanton after bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation were sounded by members of Congress, including Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday. 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. "Since I have only had the opportunity to read the Inspector General's summary report, I can only speak to the language that I have seen. 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. NPR's Scott Detrow contributed to this report. 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. Now to get the Washington Examiners breaking News and timely commentary delivered right to your.! Is filled with errors, omissions, mischaracterizations, misstatements and conclusionary statements lacking evidence. `` ChatGPT invent! 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