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. The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the maintenance, operation, development, and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex. Previous:McCarthy calls on the Architect of the Capitol to resign after damaging IG report. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. 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.. The Inspector Generals report was highly concerning, which is, in part, why our first hearing was dedicated to providing oversight over the [Architect of the Capitol]. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump and remained in the job when Biden came into office. 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"I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new Architect immediately, he said. Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil, the Republican heading the committee, asked if Blanton had impersonated a law enforcement officer, as alleged in the report. WebPresident Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, the Western Journal reported. 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. Action-backed rhetoric fuels uncandidate DeSantis' launch strategy, I asked ChatGPT to invent a new cocktail. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, has been terminated, the White House said. I am outraged to hear that you were be in a comfortable place, sir, while the rest of us were thinking about dying that day and how we were going to come out alive that day, Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) said during the hearing, saying that a police officer could not close or lock a door because he did not have the keys. The investigation was prompted by a tip about Blanton's daughter recklessly driving an AOC Ford Explorer at a Walmart in Tyson's Corner. Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump but has been The complaint said that the black SUV's driver was "extremely reckless in the parking garage and swerving out of the garage at a high rate of speed, estimated to be about 65 miles per hour in a 30-mph zone.". The Blanton familys use of agency vehicles added up to at least $12,434 in unreported, taxable noncash fringe benefits. Blanton also allegedly misrepresented himself as a law enforcement official. The federal watchdog also accused Blanton, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, of ethics violations over an offer to provide tours to patriots weeks before the November 2020 election. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. I look forward to working with my colleagues to begin a search for a new architect immediately, Morelle said. 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 Republican chairman of the committee, Rep. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, called for Blantons resignation after he engaged in an exchange with him. Blanton, was grilled last week by members of the House Committee on Administration during a hearing to review a federal watchdog report. 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. "You would have to address that with members of my family," Blanton responded. Could you not have fulfilled the same function at home using a cell phone?," Morelle asked Blanton. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, the speaker tweeted Monday. President Joe Biden fired the Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton on Monday following allegations that he misused government resources and was not President Biden did the right thing and heeded my call for action. President Joe Biden has fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton, the Western Journal reported. He has repeatedly abused taxpayer dollars.Even House Democrats think its time for Blanton to go. Blanton did himself few favors with his testimony to the House Administration Committee last week in which he admitted to being absent from the Joe Biden should immediately FIRE AOC Blanton. President Biden on Monday fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton following allegations that he misrepresented himself as a law enforcement Mica Soellner can be reached at msoellner@washingtontimes.com. Dear President Biden: War in Ukraine isnt just about Ukraine, There can be no genuine budget discipline without entitlement reform, Two birds, one stone: 1619 Project vindicates capitalism. I wholeheartedly reject any assertion that I engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country, Blanton said in the hearing. Members of Congress rejected his testimony, with several calling for him to resign. All of those elements played into the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill. President Biden on Monday fired Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton following allegations that he misrepresented himself as a law enforcement officer and led banned tours, among other charges. The Daily Caller | 1775 Eye Street NW | Suite 1150-290 | Washington, DC 20006. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also called for Blanton's dismissal Monday. Blanton was three years into a 10-year-long term. Other members, including the ranking Democrat, Rep. Joe Morelle of New York, jumped on the admission by Blanton to question why he remained in the "mobile command center.". Meanwhile, the inspector general's report said Blanton's adult child called it "free gas" for her. 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. The AOC IG report also details a minor accident involving Blanton at a Virginia brewery involving another driver who backed into the government SUV while it was improperly parked. Chairman Steil Calls on Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton to Resign pic.twitter.com/klFYGejkVv, House Admin. It sure looks like he was derelict in his duties. Flip. The report noted that there was no official violation, but that these tours were not a good look. CNN has reached out to the office of the Architect of the Capitol for response to McCarthy's call for Blanton's resignation. Asked about the report earlier this month, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the White House is taking this very seriously and will take any advice that the members of Congress or any action that they want to take very seriously.. [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". If you want the facts, then sign up below and join our movement for objective news: Get news from American Digest in your inbox. However, there surely are many more in the D.C. swamp doing what Blanton did without facing consequences. The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. 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.". Ranking member Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.) was so unsatisfied by Blantons performance, he called for his resignation #FireBlanton https://t.co/Ijf1xNCsxY. 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. The Washington Times CAPITOL HILL'S TOP MANAGER FACING MISCONDUCT HEARING FOR ALLEGED MISUSE OF POSITION The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no ", "I wholeheartedly reject any assertation that I've engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country," Blanton said. "Blanton told the other party involved that it was a government vehicle, he was an 'agent' and he did not have insurance information because the government would handle the insurance claim," according to the report. "Moreover, I have fully invested to ensure that I meet the responsibilities and the expectations of this role.". The driver turned out to be Blanton's daughter, who also "made obscene gestures toward" the complainant "while at the stop sign outside the parking garage." Mr. Blanton was accused in the report of misrepresenting himself as a law enforcement officer, leading banned tours of the Capitol and misusing his government-issued vehicle. I wholeheartedly reject any assertion that I have engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country while serving in this particular role, I have taken my commitment to transform the agencys culture to promote a positive workplace for every AOC employee, Blanton said. 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Marjorie Taylor Greene: Isnt she, Fight in high school classroom leaves one dead, one, School culture wars fuel top House GOP bill, Product safety commission requests information on, House Democrats gather to chart path toward 2024. The misuse of the government vehicle resulted in "no less than $13,926.56 as net questioned costs," the report found. Committee members characterized his performance as evasive, and Morelle responded by calling for his resignation. Greg Nash/AP 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. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisc. ), the chair of the panel, and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) joined Morelle in demanding Blantons ouster on Monday, making the calls bipartisan. 2023 - The American Digest - All Rights Reserved, Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton fired by Joe Biden after Kevin McCarthy demanded resignation, Watchdog group finds Capitol Police and FBI ignored "credible threats" prior to Jan. 6th riot at the Capitol, Elizabeth Warren's CFPB to have fate determined by Supreme Court, Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announces resignation from the Biden administration, Up to 14 million will lose Medicaid coverage over next 12 months, After leaving the GOP,87-year-old New Jersey state senator abandons his reelection bid, Ted Cruz says Dr. Fauci will be responsible for future pandemic deaths, Don Lemon removed from key hosting role by CNN after Haley remarks. 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 federal watchdog also accused Blanton, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, of ethics violations over an offer to provide tours to "patriots" weeks before the November 2020 election. The Inspector Generals report was highly concerning, which is, in part, why our first hearing was dedicated to providing oversight over the AOC. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Blanton could be removed only by the president because the architect of the Capitol is a presidential appointee confirmed by the Senate. He was confirmed by a voice vote in the Republican-led Senate 10 days later. After doing our due diligence, the Architect of [the] Capitol was terminated at the Presidents direction, the official said in a statement. U.S. Capitol Architect, Brett Blanton, remains under scrutiny after an intense House of Administration hearing, last Thursday. Terms of Use / Privacy Policy / Manage Newsletters, - 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. We publish the objective news, period. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately, McCarthy tweeted Monday. Unethical behavior during my service to this country, Blanton said in D.C.... Unreported, taxable noncash fringe benefits for Blanton 's adult child called it `` Free gas for! Came into office in his job his duties time for Blanton to resign enraged some lawmakers noted there... 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