"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, 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 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. Rep. Bryan Steil, Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Administration Committee, called for Mr. Blantons immediate resignation on Monday. Based on the conduct alleged by the Inspector General and todays testimony, I am no longer confident in Mr. Blantons ability to effectively perform the duties of his office. After recounting her experience of being stranded on a balcony during the insurrection, Democratic Rep. Norma Torres of California grew visibly frustrated. 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. I wholeheartedly reject any assertion I have engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country, he said. 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. Previous:McCarthy calls on the Architect of the Capitol to resign after damaging IG report. 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. 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. 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. [4] He retired from the Navy in 2015. 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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. "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. 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. 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 Blanton reportedly allowed the vehicle to be operated by his adult daughter and his wife against regulations while the American taxpayers footed the bill. 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. 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. He previously called for Blanton to be terminated. Lawmakers are sounding the alarm after the CIA confirmed that China may be considering sending lethal arms to Russia. 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.". President Biden did the right thing and heeded my call for action. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Biden fired the Architect of the Capitol among bipartisan calls for his resignation. "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. The report, released on October 2022, found that Blanton "abused his authority, misused government property, and wasted taxpayer money, among other substantiated violations." "If I'm at Home Depot and something happens, there would be a delayed response getting to the Capitol," Blanton told lawmakers. The investigation was prompted by a tip about Blanton's daughter recklessly driving an AOC Ford Explorer at a Walmart in Tyson's Corner. Mr. Morelle praised the White Houses decision to remove Mr. Blanton, calling it the right thing.. 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. WebPresident Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, the Western Journal reported. The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for maintaining and operating Capitol grounds, and sits on the Capitol Police Board. 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. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately. 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 House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R "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? The job of the Capitol architect is to manage the massive landmark and its surrounding grounds. All of those elements played into the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill. 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. Even House Democrats think its time for Blanton to go, the tweet read. 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. 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, he said. One big strike against Blanton was the fact that he was not physically present on the Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021. Updated February 13, 2023 at 7:24 PM ET. Meanwhile, the inspector general's report said Blanton's adult child called it "free gas" for her. His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately," said Steil. Architect of the Capitol, Office of the Inspector General. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. [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. "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. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle jumped on that. Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News. ", "I wholeheartedly reject any assertation that I've engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country," Blanton said. 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. Ranking member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) was so unsatisfied by Blantons performance, he called for his resignation #FireBlanton https://t.co/Ijf1xNCsxY. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately. Blanton did himself few favors with his testimony to the House Administration Committee last week in which he admitted to being absent from the here for reprint permission. Copyright 2023 HotAir.com/Salem Media. 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. 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. If you want the facts, then sign up below and join our movement for objective news: Get news from American Digest in your inbox. Mr. Blanton's incompetency is a danger to his office, and I join @RepJoeMorelle to call for his immediate resignation," Torres tweeted. The misuse of the government vehicle resulted in "no less than $13,926.56 as net questioned costs," the report found. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump and remained in the job when Biden came into office. (RELATED: Capitol Police Downplayed Intelligence From Security Firm Warning Of Capitol Riot). He was sworn in on Jan. 16, 2020. You have permission to edit this article. I think it may be, certainly of anyone with a position of power and a title. 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 Senate Budget Committee held a hearing on the impact of climate change and sea level rise on coastal communities as lawmakers reach an impasse on addressing the problem. "His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately.". WaPo: FBI resisted Mar-a-Lago raid, DoJ prosecutors demanded it. An inspector general's report said Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton "abused his authority," "misused government property" and "wasted taxpayer money.". Action-backed rhetoric fuels uncandidate DeSantis' launch strategy, I asked ChatGPT to invent a new cocktail. NBC News has asked Blanton's office for comment. 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. Joe Biden should immediately FIRE AOC Blanton. "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 agency's culture to promote positive workplace for every AOC employee," Blanton said. The Inspector Generals report was highly concerning, Steil said. The report is filled with errors, omissions, mischaracterizations, misstatements and conclusory statements lacking evidence.. 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. Biden "terminated" Blanton amid bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation, including from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier on Monday, the official said. He was nominated by Trump on Dec. 9, 2019. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. Torres called for Blantons resignation shortly after the hearing. On December 16, 2019, the Committee reported his nomination favorably to the Senate floor. We publish the objective news, period. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, McCarthy said in a tweet on Monday. The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex. Ill note that it appears that Rep. Morelle is taking credit for Blantons termination. "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," the California Republican added. [1] He was sworn in on January 16, 2020.[7]. Driving the news: Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) praised the Biden administration for terminating Blanton. 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.". His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately. [10] Congressional representatives called for Blanton to resign. 2023 - The American Digest - All Rights Reserved, Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton fired by Joe Biden after Kevin McCarthy demanded resignation, Watchdog group finds Capitol Police and FBI ignored "credible threats" prior to Jan. 6th riot at the Capitol, Elizabeth Warren's CFPB to have fate determined by Supreme Court, Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announces resignation from the Biden administration, Up to 14 million will lose Medicaid coverage over next 12 months, After leaving the GOP,87-year-old New Jersey state senator abandons his reelection bid, Ted Cruz says Dr. Fauci will be responsible for future pandemic deaths, Don Lemon removed from key hosting role by CNN after Haley remarks. He was confirmed by a voice vote in the Republican-led Senate 10 days later. 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