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. "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. After all this, House Administration Committee Chairman Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) called for Blanton's resignation. 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. 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 Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. 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 Capitols architect oversees the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the U.S. Capitol complex. Morelle called for Blantons resignation last week. Click I wholeheartedly reject any assertion that I engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country, he testified. The big picture: An inspector general report last year accused Brett Blanton, who was appointed by former President Trump, of abusing his authority. Blanton responded that he did not have police radios and sufficient equipment in his house. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images. Why? There were some $13,926.56 in costs attributed to the Ford Explorer. 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. He wasnt able to drive there. ), the chair of the panel, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) joined Morelle in demanding Blantons ouster on Monday, making the calls bipartisan. President Biden did the right thing and heeded my call for action. "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? here for reprint permission. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new Architect 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. Members of Congress rejected his testimony, with several calling for him to resign. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. "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. I think it may be, certainly of anyone with a position of power and a title. Steil also called for Blanton to resign Monday. Blanton did himself few favors with his testimony to the House Administration Committee last week in which he admitted to being absent from the Ill note that it appears that Rep. Morelle is taking credit for Blantons termination. 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.. The office of the architect did not immediately respond to requests for comment. ", The call was echoed by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who tweeted that Blanton "no longer has my confidence to continue in his job.. 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WebPresident Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, the Western Journal reported. 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. Steil suggested that Congress could reorganize the Capitol Police board in light of Blantons failure to be on Capitol grounds. I will say that the report is filled with errors, omissions, mischaracterizations, misstatements and conclusionary statements lacking evidence.". Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil, the Republican heading the committee, asked if Blanton had impersonated a law enforcement officer, as alleged in the report. Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), the ranking member on the House Administration Committee, welcomed Blanton's ouster. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously told reporters Monday that the administration was weighing its options. CNN has reached out to the office of the Architect of the Capitol for response to McCarthy's call for Blanton's resignation. Architect of the Capitol, Office of the Inspector General. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also called for Blanton's dismissal Monday. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, has been terminated, the White House said. The vehicle was driven for some 30,000 miles despite limitations to use for official work only. "His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately.". Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News. 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. Even House Democrats think its time for Blanton to go, the tweet read. 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 was the only member of the board who did not resign or lose 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. 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.". Mr. Blanton faced growing calls to step down from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy who urged his resignation on Monday. The misuse of the government vehicle resulted in "no less than $13,926.56 as net questioned costs," the report found. 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 Some experts believe Congress has the authority to impeach Blanton, but others, including Steil, believe his ouster would require executive action since the Capitol architect is a position appointed by the president. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new architect immediately, Morelle said. "All PATRIOTS welcome," one of her posts proclaimed. His explanation of being off campus during the day of Jan. 6 enraged some lawmakers. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisc. 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. One big strike against Blanton was the fact that he was not physically present on the Capitol grounds on January 6, 2021. The Architect was not on-site during the riot, but worked out of his government car. Blanton also stated that on January 6 he was using his official vehicle as the Architect of the Capitol's mobile command post. Biden "terminated" Blanton amid bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation, including from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier on Monday, the official said. Following the reports release, six Democrats who chair committees that oversee the AOC called for Blantons removal, explaining that, Based on the 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. President Joe Biden fired the Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton on Monday following allegations that he misused government resources and was not Architect did not have police radios and sufficient equipment in his job call action... 30,000 miles despite limitations to use for official work only conclusionary statements lacking evidence. ``,... 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