Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Capitol building's top manager prompts fury with admission he avoided Hill on Jan. 6
This asshole knew that there was going to be an attack and did not take steps to stop this attack
Link to tweet
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/09/lawmakers-capitol-hill-architect-misconduct-00081934
Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton already faced serious allegations of misusing official resources. At his first appearance under oath since a searing report detailed those accusations, lawmakers only discovered more reasons for concern.
Amid blanket denials and evasive answers as Blanton appeared before the House Administration Committee for 90 minutes Thursday, the man in charge of effectively running the Capitol complex said he avoided coming to the Hill on Jan. 6, 2021. He explained that he thought it wouldn’t be “prudent” to drive to work that day, a revelation that infuriated lawmakers on the panel.....
Blanton has a vote on the three-member Capitol Police Board, which is in charge of making decisions about increasing security around the complex and oversees the Hill’s police force. House Administration Chair Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) promised that the committee would soon be looking at possible reorganization of the USCP board.
“I’m outraged that you would 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.) told Blanton. “Outrageous that you were not here.”
“I find it mind-blowing that the head of the AOC, the leader, knowing what you knew — probably a lot more than we did that day — would not have been in this building ensuring the safety and security not only of the building but of the employees that you lead,” echoed Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.).
An inspector general report found Blanton had misused multiple office resources, including improperly using official vehicles to drive all around the Washington region, as well as to South Carolina and Florida, and had impersonated a law enforcement officer after a family relation experienced a hit-and-run. In his first public address of those accusations, Blanton said he drove his official department vehicle on personal trips in case he had to rush back to the Capitol in a crisis.
Amid blanket denials and evasive answers as Blanton appeared before the House Administration Committee for 90 minutes Thursday, the man in charge of effectively running the Capitol complex said he avoided coming to the Hill on Jan. 6, 2021. He explained that he thought it wouldn’t be “prudent” to drive to work that day, a revelation that infuriated lawmakers on the panel.....
Blanton has a vote on the three-member Capitol Police Board, which is in charge of making decisions about increasing security around the complex and oversees the Hill’s police force. House Administration Chair Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) promised that the committee would soon be looking at possible reorganization of the USCP board.
“I’m outraged that you would 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.) told Blanton. “Outrageous that you were not here.”
“I find it mind-blowing that the head of the AOC, the leader, knowing what you knew — probably a lot more than we did that day — would not have been in this building ensuring the safety and security not only of the building but of the employees that you lead,” echoed Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.).
An inspector general report found Blanton had misused multiple office resources, including improperly using official vehicles to drive all around the Washington region, as well as to South Carolina and Florida, and had impersonated a law enforcement officer after a family relation experienced a hit-and-run. In his first public address of those accusations, Blanton said he drove his official department vehicle on personal trips in case he had to rush back to the Capitol in a crisis.
12 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
