Biden Fires Architect of the Capitol After Allegations

(RepublicanDaily.org) – President Biden fired the Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton after watchdog allegations came in that he had misused government vehicles as well as impersonated a police officer, The Wall Street Journal reported.

An inspector general’s report filed in November accused Blanton of allowing a pattern of repeated unauthorized use of government vehicles by his wife and adult daughter, ABC News local news reported. Their use of the vehicles tallied up to “no less” than $12,434 worth of unreported benefits.

Blanton was also accused of misrepresenting himself as law enforcement on multiple occasions, by using his credentials as a member of the Capitol Police Board as well as using the emergency package on the government vehicles he operated.

The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the preservation of the Congress building. The architect is responsible for 17.4 million square feet of historic and modern facilities in the nation’s Capitol of Washington D.C., including 580 acres on the Congress acres. In addition to the facilities maintained, the architect likewise manages 2,000 employees.

J. Brett Blanton was “scandal-plagued,” wrote Politico. Blanton departed his office seven years before his term had expired. The decision was reportedly bipartisan and followed calls from top lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle to dismiss Blanton after allegations came streaming in.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called for Blanton to either step down or be removed by the president, stating that the architect “no longer had” his confidence, The Hill reported. McCarthy was joined by House Administration Committee Chairman Bryan Steil (R. Wisconsin) and a ranking House Administration Committee member Joseph Morelle (D. New York) in his demand.

Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump in December 2019 as the 12th Architect of the Capitol. Before his position as the architect, Blanton was the deputy vice president for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.