President Joe Biden fires architect of US Capitol

He was alleged in a blistering 26 October inspector general report to have improperly used government-owned vehicles for personal use, misrepresented himself as a law enforcement officer, and engaged in other misconduct.

The White House said Blanton’s appointment was terminated. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Monday he would lose confidence in Blanton’s ability to do the job.

“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,” McCarthy said.

As per the inspector general report, released in 2022, “administrative, ethical and policy violations” by Blanton were found.

Blanton was nominated in December 2019 by Trump as the 12th Architect of the Capitol and confirmed to the post by the US Senate.

The architect’s job is sweeping and historic, responsible for the maintenance and operation of the US Capitol and its expansive grounds and building complex. Blanton, a former US Naval officer, is a civil engineer and previously worked as deputy vice president at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

The report mentioned that Blanton allowed unauthorised use of his work vehicle, including by his wife and adult daughter, racking up nearly 30,000 miles — about triple the estimate for his official use.

During the house hearing last week, Blanton also came under fire when he testified that he was not at the Capitol during the January 6 attack because it was a “telework” day under Covid protocol.

The report said the family racked up miles on the vehicle beyond what was estimated for the architect’s official use, amounting to $13,926.56 in questioned costs. It said the daughter had referred to using the AOC’s fuel as “free gas.”

The report also found that Blanton used his official SUV on another occasion in 2020 to pursue a vehicle “involved in a hit-and-run incident that took place in front of his residence.” It said he led the police and others involved during the court proceeding to believe he was law enforcement.

The report also found “multiple social media posts” created by Blanton’s wife about Capitol tours.

The report said while the posts did not violate US codes, “Offering private tours of the US Capitol creates the appearance of impropriety and using a public position for private gain, which is a violation of AOC policy.”