"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 should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately. WebPresident Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, the Western Journal reported. Blanton was nominated by former President Trump to a 10-year term as Architect of the Capitol and was confirmed by the Senate in December 2019. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe link, found at the bottom of every email. ), the chair of the panel, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) joined Morelle in demanding Blantons ouster on Monday, making the calls bipartisan. 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. Blanton responded that he did not have police radios and sufficient equipment in his house. Committee GOP (@HouseAdmin) February 13, 2023, Democrats expressed anger with Blantons handling of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The pandemic popped San Francisco's progressive bubble, The cost of the Federal Reserve's 'full employment': Migrant child labor, Lori Lightfoot's next dancing TikTok video should be to "Bye Bye Bye", TikTok restricts teenager screen time as it faces threat of national ban, Lightfoot is out: Chicago mayor out four years after breaking onto scene as rising star, Republicans could force Bidens first veto with fights over ESG and DC crime law, Protesters thrown out of House China committee's first prime-time hearing. Bill would get rid of the Democratic Party in Fla. Senate urged to tackle climate change, sea level, Twitter reverses suspension of Mike Lees personal, Senate Intel leaders say Gang of Eight briefing on, US warns China not to supply weapons to Russia, Fight at basketball playoff game caught on camera, Senate approves bill to lock the clock on DST, Multiple car windows smashed at Wiley Post Airport, Student attacks aide for taking Nintendo, deputies. [5], President Donald Trump nominated Blanton on December 9, 2019, for a ten-year term as Architect of the Capitol. I think it may be, certainly of anyone with a position of power and a title. 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. "I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new Architect immediately, he said. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, has been terminated, the White House said. here for reprint permission. 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. On February 13, 2023, President Joe Biden terminated Blanton's appointment as Architect of the Capitol.[2]. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump but has been After recounting her experience of being stranded on a balcony during the insurrection, Democratic Rep. Norma Torres of California grew visibly frustrated. Rep. Bryan Steil, Wisconsin Republican who chairs the House Administration Committee, called for Mr. Blantons immediate resignation on Monday. The job of the Capitol architect is to manage the massive landmark and its surrounding grounds. 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Greg Nash/AP California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Biden fired the Architect of the Capitol among bipartisan calls for his resignation. He was nominated by Trump on Dec. 9, 2019. 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. He wasnt able to drive there. 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. The inspector general found that Blanton's wife made "multiple social media posts" about the tours. Joe Biden should immediately FIRE AOC Blanton. Ranking member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) was so unsatisfied by Blantons performance, he called for his resignation #FireBlanton https://t.co/Ijf1xNCsxY. Meanwhile, the inspector general's report said Blanton's adult child called it "free gas" for her. The abuse of government property charge includes allowing special treatment for his family. The report also found that Blanton had been improperly identified as an off-duty police officer during an incident when he chased down a hit-and-run that happened outside his residence. In his opening statement he had noted that the AOC vehicle is to allow the architect to support the Capitol in a remote capacity, and that "it is inaccurate to characterize the state of the vehicle is only for home to work purposes.". 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. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new architect immediately, Morelle said. 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. There were aggressive calls for Blantons resignation immediately following the shocking violence that unfolded during the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Is this the first termination that Biden has carried out? In a statement Monday, Morelle praised Biden for doing "the right thing" by dismissing Blanton. The committee hearing was to review an inspector general report. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. 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. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. 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. 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. You have permission to edit this article. 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. 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 Washington Times NPR's Scott Detrow contributed to this report. Monday, February 13, 2023, The Front Page Podcast: Pumping the Brakes, NEW: Its not polite to pretend boys can be girls, SCOTUS takes on Bidens student debt agenda, Click "President Biden did the right thing and heeded my call for action. The office of the architect did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisc. I wholeheartedly reject any assertion that I engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country, he testified. The Architect of the Capitol is one of three members of the board that oversees the Capitol Police, along with the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms. However, a report from the Office of the Inspector General uncovered several troubling things about Blanton that have led to calls for President Joe Biden to remove him. 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. 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. Doctors prescribe Ozempic off label: Is that OK? House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday called on Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton to resign after damaging inspector general report last fall. Blanton, was grilled last week by members of the House Committee on Administration during a hearing to review a federal watchdog report. 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. President Biden did the right thing and heeded my call for action. 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. 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. 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. During the pandemic, Blanton reportedly gave tours of the U.S. Capitol despite the official closure of the building to the public. 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.. Did You Ever Wonder How and Why the Left Is Able to Push Their Narratives Almost Unhindered? When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. Blanton could be removed only by the president because the architect of the Capitol is a presidential appointee confirmed by the Senate. Blanton denied any ethical violations during the hearing on Thursday. 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 The architect of the Capitol is tasked with maintaining and operating Capitol grounds, according to AOC.gov. 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. 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