"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. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump and remained in the job when Biden came into office. The committees top Democrat, Rep. Joseph D. Morelle of New York, also called for Mr. Blanton to step down. The backdrop: The report found that Blanton serially misused government-issued vehicles for personal trips, and falsely identified himself as a law enforcement officer. 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.". WebPresident Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, the Western Journal reported. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. 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. Flip. 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. The report accused Blanton of ethics violations, abuse of government funds and wasting taxpayer money. I am outraged to hear that you were 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, Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) said during the hearing, saying that a police officer could not close or lock a door because he did not have the keys. Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News. Click Rep. Bryan Steil, Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Administration Committee, called for Mr. Blantons immediate resignation on Monday. 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. 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.. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Shortly after McCarthys tweet, Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), the chairman of the House Administration Committee, joined calls for Blanton's resignation. Blanton is one of three voting members of the United States Capitol Police Board, which oversees the USCP. If you want the facts, then sign up below and join our movement for objective news: Get news from American Digest in your inbox. The misuse of the government vehicle resulted in "no less than $13,926.56 as net questioned costs," the report found. Chairman Steil Calls on Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton to Resign pic.twitter.com/klFYGejkVv, House Admin. "The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Ill note that it appears that Rep. Morelle is taking credit for Blantons termination. 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. Blanton was three years into a 10-year-long term. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately. 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.". "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. CNN has reached out to the office of the Architect of the Capitol for response to McCarthy's call for Blanton's resignation. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new Architect immediately.. "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 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. "Moreover, I have fully invested to ensure that I meet the responsibilities and the expectations of this role.". He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately," McCarthy wrote. The vehicle was driven for some 30,000 miles despite limitations to use for official work only. An inspector general's report said Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton "abused his authority," "misused government property" and "wasted taxpayer money.". Following the reports release, six Democrats who chair committees that oversee the AOC called for Blantons removal, explaining that, Based on the The committee hearing was to review an inspector general report. Frank Thorp V is a producer and off-air reporter covering Congress for NBC News, managing coverage of the Senate. His explanation of being off campus during the day of Jan. 6 enraged some lawmakers. Joe Biden should immediately FIRE AOC Blanton. In a statement Monday, Morelle praised Biden for doing "the right thing" by dismissing Blanton. After all this, House Administration Committee Chairman Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) called for Blanton's resignation. The Capitols architect oversees the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the U.S. Capitol complex. - "All PATRIOTS welcome," one of her posts proclaimed. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. 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.. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also called for Blanton's dismissal Monday. 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. He has repeatedly abused taxpayer dollars. 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 The report accused Blanton of ethics violations, abuse of government funds, and wasting taxpayer money. The inspector general found that Blanton's wife made "multiple social media posts" about the tours. During the pandemic, Blanton reportedly gave tours of the U.S. Capitol despite the official closure of the building to the public. There were some $13,926.56 in costs attributed to the Ford Explorer. Blanton was appointed to the role by former President Donald Trump in 2019. 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 served in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps for 22 years. The Biden administration on Monday "terminated" the Architect of the Capitol, the White House confirmed. The report noted that there was no official violation, but that these tours were not a good look. 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. His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately," said Steil. 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. Rep. Gregory Murphy (R-N.C.) took issue with the Architect of the Capitols office having a telework policy, though Blanton said he is now going to the Capitol effectively every day of the week., It absolutely blows me away, Murphy said, why Blanton as Architect of the Capitol Architect of the Capitol why you are not here physically every day, all day.. 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. 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. Please show us the Experts Clause of the Constitution, Justices Sotomayor and Kagan, Jon Stewart to the Left, media: Told you so about the lab leak, St. Louis newspaper publishes response to gender clinic worker's story. here for reprint permission. President Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, the Western Journal reported. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. 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. 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. 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. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. 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 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. Committee members characterized his performance as evasive, and Morelle responded by calling for his resignation. The report, released on October 2022, found that Blanton "abused his authority, misused government property, and wasted taxpayer money, among other substantiated violations." Doctors prescribe Ozempic off label: Is that OK? 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. 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. 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 Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. There were aggressive calls for Blantons resignation immediately following the shocking violence that unfolded during the January 6, 2021 insurrection. It sure looks like he was derelict in his duties. The result was mixed, Majority of voters, plurality of Democrats say Biden is too old to run again, *Gulp* Finland is building a wall on Russia's border, Maher on CNN: If its Biden against Trump, Biden will win thats a good bet", George Santos' CNN Response Is a Master Troll Move, Biden owns border critics with chuckling reminder this mom's sons died of fentanyl overdoses in 2020, Shock Report: FBI Agents Did Not Want to Raid Mar-a-Lago. The Daily Caller | 1775 Eye Street NW | Suite 1150-290 | Washington, DC 20006. Mr. Morelle praised the White Houses decision to remove Mr. Blanton, calling it the right thing.. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact. 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