brett blanton resignation

The inspector general was first alerted to these problems through a complaint on a hotline on March 7, 2021. All Rights Reserved. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told NBC News, I agree with the presidents decision to fire the architect.". Blanton responded that he did not have police radios and sufficient equipment in his house. Democratic lawmakers are calling for the resignation of J. Brett Blanton, the architect of the Capitol, over a scathing federal watchdog report that found he abused his Updated February 13, 2023 at 7:24 PM ET. hide caption. Did You Ever Wonder How and Why the Left Is Able to Push Their Narratives Almost Unhindered? Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisc. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately," McCarthy wrote. He was sworn in on Jan. 16, 2020. "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. The inspector general found that Blanton's wife made "multiple social media posts" about the tours. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER. "You would have to address that with members of my family," Blanton responded. In a statement Monday, Morelle praised Biden for doing "the right thing" by dismissing Blanton. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump but has been Copyright 2023 HotAir.com/Salem Media. The Washington Times "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. "If I'm at Home Depot and something happens, there would be a delayed response getting to the Capitol," Blanton told lawmakers. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisc. 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 responsibilities of his job include overseeing the Capitols property management and operations, and as one of three board members, he oversees the U.S. Capitol Police. 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. If you want the facts, then sign up below and join our movement for objective news: Get news from American Digest in your inbox. [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". On February 13, 2023, President Joe Biden terminated Blanton's appointment as Architect of the Capitol.[2]. The architect of the Capitol is tasked with maintaining and operating Capitol grounds, according to AOC.gov. The committee hearing was to review an inspector general report. Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, "PN1324 - Nomination of J. Brett Blanton for Congress of the United States, 116th Congress (2019-2020)", "Biden Fires Architect Of The Capitol Over Alleged Abuse Of Power", "Airport engineer nominated to be next Architect of the Capitol in Washington, D.C.", "J. Brett Blanton Nominated as Architect of the Capitol", "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Individuals to Key Administration Posts", 2021-0011-INVI-P J. Brett Blanton, Architect of the Capitol, Abused His Authority, Misused Government Property and Wasted Taxpayer Money, Among Other Substantiated Violations, Federal watchdog accuses Architect of the Capitol of ethics violations over offer to give patriots tours, "J. Brett Blanton on track to become next architect of the Capitol", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brett_Blanton&oldid=1139250130, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 February 2023, at 04:19. 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. 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. - here for reprint permission. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday called on Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton to resign after damaging inspector general report last fall. NPR's Scott Detrow contributed to this report. He came under fire after an inspector general report found 'administrative, ethical, and policy violations'. 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 use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. 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 Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. "As Ranking Member of the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight, I found Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton's answers at today's hearing appalling. Committee Chair Bryan Steil, R-Wis., called on Blanton to resign Monday, saying in a statement that his "refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clearthat he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately. Members of Congress rejected his testimony, with several calling for him to resign. After all this, House Administration Committee Chairman Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI) called for Blanton's resignation. Lawmakers are sounding the alarm after the CIA confirmed that China may be considering sending lethal arms to Russia. $12,434 in unreported, taxable noncash fringe benefits. Blanton also allegedly misrepresented himself as a law enforcement official. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. The White House terminated Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton's appointment on Monday. Click Blanton said in the hearing that he used the vehicle during an out-of-state family vacation because he was under the impression that I had to use that vehicle so he could have quick communication with the Capitol Police Board in case of any emergency. J. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, was grilled by House Committee on Administration members last week. NBC News has asked Blanton's office for comment. 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. 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. His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately. Steil suggested that Congress could reorganize the Capitol Police board in light of Blantons failure to be on Capitol grounds. When asked if he had used a government vehicle for personal use, Blanton said that he wouldn't characterize his use of the vehicle as personal. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. 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. You have permission to edit this article. During the pandemic, Blanton reportedly gave tours of the U.S. Capitol despite the official closure of the building to the public. 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, he said. This was all while the government was footing the bill for her travels. (CNN) President Joe Biden fired the Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton on Monday following allegations that he misused government resources and was not physically present on the Capitol grounds during the January 6, 2021, insurrection, a White House official 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. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Even House Democrats think its time for Blanton to go, the tweet read. [3] Blanton is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering and a Certified Energy Manager. Action-backed rhetoric fuels uncandidate DeSantis' launch strategy, I asked ChatGPT to invent a new cocktail. Blanton was the only member of the Capitol Police Board who still had a job after the Jan. 6 riot. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, has been terminated, the White House said. 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President Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, the Western Journal reported. R-Wisconsin, also called on Blanton to immediately resign. [5], President Donald Trump nominated Blanton on December 9, 2019, for a ten-year term as Architect of the Capitol. Ranking Democrat Rep. Joe Morelle of New York questioned why he remained in the mobile command center. The board consists of the House sergeant at arms, the Senate sergeant at arms and doorkeeper and the architect of the Capitol. Morelle called for Blantons resignation last week. Calls for Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blantons ouster or resignation are getting louder in the wake of a fiery House Administration hearing earlier this week. Blanton, was grilled last week by members of the House Committee on Administration during a hearing to review a federal watchdog report. 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 recounting her experience of being stranded on a balcony during the insurrection, Democratic Rep. Norma Torres of California grew visibly frustrated. 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. The WASHINGTON EXAMINER. 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