Biden ousts Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton amid misconduct allegations
Samantha-Jo Roth Ryan King
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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.
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. 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.
CAPITOL HILL’S TOP MANAGER FACING MISCONDUCT HEARING FOR ALLEGED MISUSE OF POSITION
“The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately,” the speaker tweeted Monday.
https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1625187743918702603?s=20&t=vrmzmJFiHCw-n_MHkeQFhA
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. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre previously told reporters Monday that the administration was weighing its options.
“We take the IG report seriously and the request from members of Congress seriously as well and are evaluating next steps,” she said.
Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), the ranking member on the House Administration Committee, welcomed Blanton’s ouster. He previously called for Blanton to be terminated.
“President Biden did the right thing and heeded my call for action. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new Architect immediately,” he said in a statement.
Republican members on the panel were infuriated when Blanton, who was appointed in 2019 and was in charge of the Capitol’s security, cited pandemic work-from-home policies when asked why he was not on site the morning of Jan. 6. Blanton said he was monitoring developments remotely during the Jan. 6 riot.
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.
Shortly after McCarthy’s tweet, Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), the chairman of the House Administration Committee, joined calls for Blanton’s resignation.
“The Inspector General’s report was highly concerning, which is, in part, why our first hearing was dedicated to providing oversight over the AOC. His refusal to be transparent and truthful has made clear that he can no longer lead the organization and must resign immediately,” said Steil.
https://twitter.com/HouseGOP/status/1624086813215281152?s=20&t=mNhLM8zRDysIFMeeQH-ScA
The House Republicans’ Twitter account on Friday requested Biden to remove Blanton immediately.
“Joe Biden should immediately FIRE AOC Blanton. He has repeatedly abused taxpayer dollars. Even House Democrats think it’s time for Blanton to go,” the tweet read.
A number of Democrats, including Torres, also called for Blanton’s ouster.
“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. Mr. Blanton’s incompetency is a danger to his office, and I join @RepJoeMorelle to call for his immediate resignation,” Torres tweeted.
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Last year, a handful of lawmakers called for Blanton’s 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.
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.