Biden fires Architect of the Capitol after calls for his resignation
Last edited Mon Feb 13, 2023, 06:40 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: CNN Politics
CNN President Joe Biden fired the Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blantons 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.
Biden terminated Blanton amid bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation, including from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier on Monday, the official said. After doing our due diligence, the Architect of Capitol was terminated at the Presidents direction, the White House official said.
In the fall, an inspector general report accused Blanton of abuse of government property and wasting taxpayer dollars by allowing his family to drive a government-owned vehicle and taking the vehicle on out-of-town trips to South Carolina and Florida, according to the report. 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.
Blanton, was grilled last week by members of the House Committee on Administration during a hearing to review a federal watchdog report. The report accused Blanton of ethics violations, abuse of government funds and wasting taxpayer money. In Thursdays hearing, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle jumped on learning that Blanton was not physically present on Capitol grounds on the day of the insurrection, January 6, 2021. CNN has reached out to the office of the Architect of the Capitol for response to McCarthys call for Blantons resignation.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/13/politics/architect-of-the-capitol-resignation-calls
I remember when the previous Architect had retired and this one was appointed by... surprise surprise.
ETA - the below (that I have posted before) was done back in 2016 when Stephen T. Ayers, the predecessor of the guy who just go fired, was the Architect. He had been in the job between 2007 - 2018. Ayers appears in a number of spots in the video as part of the interview/narration.
SouthernDem4ever
(6,619 posts)I thought all the trumpies were supposed to be ok with him.
FakeNoose
(41,702 posts)SheltieLover
(80,641 posts)Grimelle
(219 posts)NullTuples
(6,017 posts)Just a thought. Seems like a lot of them serve at the pleasure of the President and should've been cleared out in 2021.
BumRushDaShow
(169,950 posts)and they ALL need confirmation by the Senate.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/ppo/
Biden has been prioritizing judicial appointees and so far, upwards of 600 positions of a variety of positions requiring confirmation, have completed that process.
There are still U.S. Attorney vacancies that are slowly being filled too, so Architect is probably down on the list for priority (usually they are geeks but it sounds like this guy was right up 45's ally
).
NullTuples
(6,017 posts)I mean on top of negating or undoing everything from major laws to post office renamings. Their MO seems to be to throw so much at the wall to see what sticks, their BS becomes the wall itself.
BumRushDaShow
(169,950 posts)Literally shoveling judges into the courts. So far, Biden has managed to get almost 100 federal judges confirmed out of 154 announced (some of which are still awaiting confirmation).
LenaBaby61
(6,991 posts)jsabrown
(22 posts)Maybe he was WFH because the Capitol was busy. Maybe he had a flat tire. Maybe he was sick.
Don't get me wrong; I'm sure dude is a gaping a$$hole, but I don't get why his absence on 6 January is worthy of inclusion in his list of offenses.
woodsprite
(12,582 posts)BumRushDaShow
(169,950 posts)that took place in the U.S. Capitol - the final presentation, review, and certification of the Presidential Electors as part of the Electoral College process.
It wasn't some random "busy" day but ended up featuring a disruption in the transfer of power.
LymphocyteLover
(9,863 posts)orleans
(36,959 posts)or however long he was touring those "patriots"
Hope22
(4,767 posts)Just what was going down! He fed the beast and fled!
calimary
(90,100 posts)Seems to me it's worth finding out what he was doing that day, and where.
Should he have been there? Do some folks in that arena think there's a fishy smell starting to be detectable around him? I'm not familiar with the details or demands of his job, so I'm asking.
Captain Zero
(8,909 posts)Something like 3 people oversee security. He's one of the three. The hearing is on YouTube. What infuriated me was on J6 HIS WIFE, Michelle, was on Twitter urging people to go to the Capitol!
The hearing was horrible.
Find it and listen.
He's definitely a 45 fuckhead.
BumRushDaShow
(169,950 posts)Raven123
(7,825 posts)I think the GOP mostly was upset that he wasnt a covid denier, but no one believed his explanations for his wifes behavior and his own inability (unwillingness) to go on record about his family driving the government vehicle. No wonder everyone wanted him fired.
BumRushDaShow
(169,950 posts)considering he didn't do anything that Ben Carson and Tom Price hadn't done themselves.
(of course the former drifted back into his "pyramids are for grain storage" stupor and the latter had to resign)
Cha
(319,178 posts)dt's appointee Needs to Go!
TY BRDS
LymphocyteLover
(9,863 posts)Cha
(319,178 posts)is happy about it. More like Hissing and Fuming.
LymphocyteLover
(9,863 posts)Ford_Prefect
(8,616 posts)LymphocyteLover
(9,863 posts)DownriverDem
(7,015 posts)My friend's boss.
LymphocyteLover
(9,863 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(180,003 posts)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
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 wouldnt 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 Hills police force. House Administration Chair Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) promised that the committee would soon be looking at possible reorganization of the USCP board.
Im 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.
IronLionZion
(51,305 posts)because they're the ones wasting it on themselves while Democrats "waste" it on healthcare and education for the American people.
SunSeeker
(58,287 posts)It's all projecting.
Joinfortmill
(21,200 posts)Captain Zero
(8,909 posts)FFS.
MyOwnPeace
(17,568 posts)The RepubliQans are upset with some government official who wasn't there when they were being attacked, and yet they vote AGAINST impeaching the son-of-a-bitch that incited the whole damned thing!
TWO-FACED CHICKEN SHITS!!!!!
Botany
(77,373 posts).... that were not reinforced (bomb proof) too. Now who would have had that knowledge or how
to disconnect the panic button the desks on certain democratic Congressperson's desks?
Talk about "the deep state" and Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton is right there. I hope
Mr. Smith gets "to chat" w/him.
republianmushroom
(22,344 posts)dalton99a
(94,267 posts)