President Joe Biden fired the Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton’s 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 President’s 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 Thursday’s 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 McCarthy’s call for Blanton’s resignation.
In Thursday’s hearing, Blanton unequivocally denied that he did anything unethical.
“I wholeheartedly reject any assertion that I have engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country while serving in this particular role, I have…
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