House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R Blanton did himself few favors with his testimony to the House Administration Committee last week in which he admitted to being absent from the When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. 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. "You would have to address that with members of my family," Blanton responded. 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. 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.. 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 board consists of the House sergeant at arms, the Senate sergeant at arms and doorkeeper and the architect of the Capitol. Blanton rebutted that he had identified himself as a member of the Capitol Police Board, which he is, and not an officer. President Joe Biden fired the Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton on Monday following allegations that he misused government resources and was not Democratic New York Rep. Joe Morelle, ranking member of the House Administration Committee, confirmed the firing in a statement. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump but has been Steil suggested that Congress could reorganize the Capitol Police board in light of Blantons failure to be on Capitol grounds. 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.. 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. After doing our due diligence, the Architect of [the] Capitol was terminated at the Presidents direction, the official said in a statement. The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex. The Capitols architect oversees the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the U.S. Capitol complex. Action-backed rhetoric fuels uncandidate DeSantis' launch strategy, I asked ChatGPT to invent a new cocktail. Biden terminated Blanton after bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation were sounded by members of Congress, including Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday. 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. 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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. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, Mr. McCarthy tweeted Monday. [4] He retired from the Navy in 2015. Blanton also stated that on January 6 he was using his official vehicle as the Architect of the Capitol's mobile command post. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER. There were some $13,926.56 in costs attributed to the Ford Explorer. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new Architect immediately," he said in a statement. 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. 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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. "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. He was confirmed by a voice vote in the Republican-led Senate 10 days later. Blanton, was grilled last week by members of the House Committee on Administration during a hearing to review a federal watchdog report. 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The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. An inspector general's report said Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton "abused his authority," "misused government property" and "wasted taxpayer money.". The job of the Capitol architect is to manage the massive landmark and its surrounding grounds. 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. He said he was using his official vehicle at the mobile command post. 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.". NBC News has asked Blanton's office for comment. I wholeheartedly reject any assertion that I engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country, Blanton said in the hearing. 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. A number of Democrats, including Torres, also called for Blanton's ouster. WASHINGTON - Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI) today issued the following statement calling on Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton to immediately resign: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) plays a key role in preserving Even House Democrats think its time for Blanton to go, the tweet read. "All PATRIOTS welcome," one of her posts proclaimed. 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 abused his authority and misused taxpayer money overseeing the Capitol complex. ), the chair of the panel, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) 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. 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. Ill note that it appears that Rep. Morelle is taking credit for Blantons termination. 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 All of those elements played into the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill. Biden "terminated" Blanton amid bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation, including from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier on Monday, the official said. [3] Blanton is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering and a Certified Energy Manager. ), the chair of the panel, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) joined Morelle in demanding Blantons ouster on Monday, making the calls bipartisan. He came under fire after an inspector general report found 'administrative, ethical, and policy violations'. 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. 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. 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 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.". 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. U.S. Capitol Architect, Brett Blanton, remains under scrutiny after an intense House of Administration hearing, last Thursday. The Inspector Generals report was highly concerning, Steil said. 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 Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Spokane, Washington Est. Blanton was appointed to the role by former President Donald Trump in 2019. His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately. The vehicle was driven for some 30,000 miles despite limitations to use for official work only. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle jumped on that. Is this the first termination that Biden has carried out? Regardless of who has appointed them, government officials who misuse their privileges must be removed from their positions. 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. 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. Blanton could be removed only by the president because the architect of the Capitol is a presidential appointee confirmed by the Senate. Whats Biden waiting for when it comes to 2024? 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.. 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. Frank Thorp V is a producer and off-air reporter covering Congress for NBC News, managing coverage of the Senate. 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