brett blanton resignation
Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, has been terminated, the White House said. 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. President Biden on Monday fired the Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton after a report alleged he abused his office. His explanation of being off campus during the day of Jan. 6 enraged some lawmakers. 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 has repeatedly abused taxpayer dollars. He was nominated by Trump on Dec. 9, 2019. The Inspector Generals report was highly concerning, which is, in part, why our first hearing was dedicated to providing oversight over the AOC. President Biden on Monday fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton following allegations that he misrepresented himself as a law enforcement He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, McCarthy tweeted Monday. here for reprint permission. There were aggressive calls for Blantons resignation immediately following the shocking violence that unfolded during the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Steil suggested that Congress could reorganize the Capitol Police board in light of Blantons failure to be on Capitol grounds. "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. Another incident involving the official vehicle occurred in 2020 when Blanton allegedly chased down a vehicle "involved in a hit-and-run incident that took place in front of his residence" using the SUV. He was sworn in on Jan. 16, 2020. 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. 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. Blanton denied misrepresenting himself as law enforcement, saying that it was a mistake on the part of Fairfax County Police after Blanton identified himself a Capitol Police Board Member.. 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.. Committee members characterized his performance as evasive, and Morelle responded by calling for his resignation. 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. 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. On December 19, 2019, the full Senate confirmed his nomination by voice vote. Blanton denied wrongdoing in a Feb. 9 hearing. 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. [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 report is filled with errors, omissions, mischaracterizations, misstatements and conclusory statements lacking evidence.. He obviously The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. 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. A number of Democrats, including Torres, also called for Blanton's ouster. 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Emails are serviced by Constant Contact. Biden "terminated" Blanton amid bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation, including from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier on Monday, the official said. Blanton oversees a workforce of nearly 2,000 and is also part of the US Capitol Police Board. He has repeatedly abused taxpayer dollars.Even House Democrats think its time for Blanton to go. The misuse of the government vehicle resulted in "no less than $13,926.56 as net questioned costs," the report found. Blanton was three years into a 10-year-long term. - The White House terminated Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton's appointment on Monday. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle jumped on that. Blanton was appointed in 2019 by President Donald Trump to a ten-year term. Haley Talbot is an associate producer in the NBC News Washington bureau. 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. "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? Chairman Steil Calls on Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton to Resign pic.twitter.com/klFYGejkVv, House Admin. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. "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. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump and remained in the job when Biden came into office. "He should resign, or President Biden should remove him immediately," the California Republican added. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe link, found at the bottom of every email. 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. "After doing our due diligence, the Architect of Capitol was terminated at the President's direction," the White House official said. "You would have to address that with members of my family," Blanton responded. Biden ousted Brett Blanton, the previous capitol architect, earlier this month after an inspector generals report found that he misused his authority. 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. The White House fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton on Monday following complaints from a bipartisan group of Congress-members and the threat of impeachment. J. Brett Blanton, the architect of the Capitol, speaks at the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting on Nov. 29. Blanton served in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps for 22 years. Democratic New York Rep. Joe Morelle, ranking member of the House Administration Committee, confirmed the firing in a statement. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, McCarthy. California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Biden fired the Architect of the Capitol among bipartisan calls for his resignation. There were some $13,926.56 in costs attributed to the Ford Explorer. 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. 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. The abuse of government property charge includes allowing special treatment for his family. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. However, there surely are many more in the D.C. swamp doing what Blanton did without facing consequences. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Blanton was dismissed months after an inspector generals report substantiated claims that he had abused his authority. Why? The Architect was not on-site during the riot, but worked out of his government car. He was confirmed by a voice vote in the Republican-led Senate 10 days later. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new Architect immediately.. His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately, Mr. Steil said in a statement. 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. 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. The Inspector Generals report was highly concerning, Steil said. The investigation was prompted by a tip about Blanton's daughter recklessly driving an AOC Ford Explorer at a Walmart in Tyson's Corner. CNN has reached out to the office of the Architect of the Capitol for response to McCarthy's call for Blanton's resignation. I wholeheartedly reject any assertion that I engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country, he testified. I will say that the report is filled with errors, omissions, mischaracterizations, misstatements and conclusionary statements lacking evidence.". 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. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. 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 Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil, the Republican heading the committee, asked if Blanton had impersonated a law enforcement officer, as alleged in the report. 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 defended his absence on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, because, he said, there were too many people on the grounds. [5], President Donald Trump nominated Blanton on December 9, 2019, for a ten-year term as Architect of the Capitol. 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