Staff Reports
On Monday, Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, was dismissed from the White House due to objections raised by a bipartisan group of congress members and the potential for impeachment. In October 2022, an Inspector General report uncovered that Blanton and his family utilized government vehicles for trips to West Virginia, Florida, and South Carolina, resulting in a cost of $12,434 in undisclosed benefits to taxpayers. Additionally, Blanton is accused of falsely presenting himself as a law enforcement official.
Chairman Steil Calls on Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton to Resign ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/klFYGejkVv
— House Admin. Committee GOP (@HouseAdmin) February 13, 2023
In a statement, Joe Morelle, the ranking member of the House Administration Committee and a Democratic representative from New York, confirmed Brett Blanton’s termination. He praised President Biden’s decision and expressed eagerness to work with his colleagues in locating a new Architect of the Capitol. Blanton was appointed in 2019 by former President Donald Trump to serve a decade-long term, and his responsibilities included overseeing the maintenance and operation of the Capitol grounds.
During a Feb. 9 hearing, Blanton refuted any wrongdoing, stating that the report contained errors, incompleteness, misinterpretations, false statements, and unsupported conclusions. Nevertheless, members of Congress dismissed his testimony, and some called for his resignation. Bryan Steil, the chairman of the House Administration Committee, proposed the possibility of reorganizing the Capitol Police board in light of Blanton’s absence from the Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection.
The White House’s dismissal of Blanton is a significant step towards regaining confidence in the Architect of the Capitol role. To guarantee that the position is filled by someone who acts with integrity and accountability, Congress must cooperate in finding a suitable replacement. The new Architect must possess a strong commitment to ethical standards, transparency, and the protection of the Capitol grounds and its inhabitants. It is imperative that Congress takes this responsibility seriously and diligently searches for a competent and capable individual to fulfill the role.
The preceding article is a summary of an article that originally appeared on The Daily Caller
