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. Steil also called for Blanton to resign Monday. [9], As a result, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, an omnibus spending bill, included a clause in the AOC budget "That none of the funds appropriated or made available under this heading in this Act or any other Act, including previous Acts, may be used for a home-to-work vehicle for the Architect or a duly authorized designee". 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. He was nominated by Trump on Dec. 9, 2019. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Blanton served in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps for 22 years. 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. He noted that the vehicle has a Capitol Police Department radio that he used to get real-time information to make leadership decisions during the riot. 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. Driving the news: Committee on House Administration Ranking Member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) praised the Biden administration for terminating Blanton. Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, - Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News. Maybe Morelle forgot that Democrats lost control of the House. His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately. "He should resign, or President Biden should remove him immediately," the California Republican added. President Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, the Western Journal reported. In Thursday's hearing, Blanton unequivocally denied that he did anything unethical. 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. WebPresident Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, the Western Journal reported. He said he was using his official vehicle at the mobile command post. 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. $12,434 in unreported, taxable noncash fringe benefits. Blanton also allegedly misrepresented himself as a law enforcement official. An inspector general's report said Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton "abused his authority," "misused government property" and "wasted taxpayer money.". The backdrop: The report found that Blanton serially misused government-issued vehicles for personal trips, and falsely identified himself as a law enforcement officer. here for reprint permission. "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? For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Did You Ever Wonder How and Why the Left Is Able to Push Their Narratives Almost Unhindered? The board consists of the House sergeant at arms, the Senate sergeant at arms and doorkeeper and the architect of the Capitol. 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.. Blanton said he was monitoring developments remotely during the Jan. 6 riot. 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. Even House Democrats think its time for Blanton to go, the tweet read. 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. 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. marijuana special election, Voters re-elect members of Oklahoma City Council, Yukon bond election set for street improvements, Prominent Republicans hold off on backing Trump, Registration deadline approaching for recreational, Oklahoma voters to decide on massive school bond, Judge dismisses Kari Lakes last election challenges, DeSantis tops Trump by 23 points among Republicans, SCOTUS hears case to determine who controls elections, Trump hosts Mar-a-Lago event with prominent QAnon,, RNC chief on criticism of early voting: We need, John Bolton going to seriously consider challenging, Why Democrats are so optimistic about winning the, Arizona certifies 2022 election results amid threat, DNC panel votes to make South Carolina first nominating, Defeated Arizona hopeful Kari Lake sues Maricopa, Republican House majority climbs to 220 with win, Ex-Trump defense chief: Hes unfit for office,, OK rep calling for change to state Board of Education, Flashpoint: Should taxpayers pay for Catholic charter, Flashpoint team talks DEI, State of the Union, Flashpoint team talks recreational marijuana in OK, Flashpoint team talks classified documents, Ryan, Flashpoint team talks high-profile ruling regarding, Chocolate peanut butter cups recalled nationwide, Dish Network confirms cybersecurity breach, AAA urges these Honda owners to check for recalls, After death, blindness, FDA expands eye drop warning, 145K cans of baby formula recalled out of abundance, Netflix tackling password sharing: 3 things to know, FDA recalls Starbucks drink that may contain glass, Tesla recalling 362K vehicles due to crash risk, Disney character toys recalled over choking hazard, Childrens pajamas recalled over burn risk, OKC police update investigation into Hobby Lobby, Windshield covers and other handy gear you need for, 18 trendy cowboy boots to wear this winter, 18 books youll want to read on Dr. Seuss Day, WATCH: Trooper rescues and adopts injured kitten, Hero school bus driver saves student from passing, Graphic video shows student attacking teachers aide, DUI Driver plows into church, injures three, WATCH: Fleeing suspects car misses train by mere, Cameras capture suspects stealing $50,000 in handbags, Dish Network still reeling from week-old ransomware, TikTok sets new default time limits for minors, Edmunds: The most affordable EVs for 2023, Here are the countries that have bans on TikTok, This feature may be making your iPhone charge slower, Protesters to Norways energy minister: you talk, Man who asked where Capitol swamp rats were on, Jan. 6 rioter who carried Confederate flag sentenced, 47 years? Mr. Morelle praised the White Houses decision to remove Mr. Blanton, calling it the right thing.. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously told reporters Monday that the administration was weighing its options. 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 job of the Capitol architect is to manage the massive landmark and its surrounding grounds. 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. Greg Nash/AP You can see things didnt go well for Blanton. 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. Blanton was the only member of the Capitol Police Board who still had a job after the Jan. 6 riot. According to the report, Blanton repeatedly misused his government-issued vehicle, misrepresented himself as a law enforcement officer, and led private tours of the Capitol. Last year, a handful of lawmakers called for Blantons resignation, including Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), the head of the Rules Committee, and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), who led the Administration Committee at the time. House lawmakers grilled Blanton over the report in a House Administrationhearinglast week, where Blanton pushed back on the report. Blanton was appointed to the role by former President Donald Trump in 2019. NBC News has asked Blanton's office for comment. President Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol J. 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