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Biden FIRES top Capitol Hill manager for admitting he stayed in his car during the Jan. 6 riots and was accused of wasting taxpayer money by letting his family drive his government car
- Blanton had already faced charges of using a government vehicle for personal use and impersonating a law enforcement officer.
- Last week, during a House hearing, he admitted that he avoided the Capitol on January 6.
- Blanton said he did not think it was “wise” to go inside and instead worked from his government vehicle.
President Biden fired the Trump-appointed Capitol architect on Monday following a call from Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy after he allegedly misused federal resources and avoided the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Biden is the only official with the power to fire Brett Blanton, who manages the Capitol complex.
Blanton faced bipartisan heat last week during a hearing where members of both parties on the House Administration Committee called for his resignation.
Blanton had already faced charges of using a government vehicle for personal use and impersonating a law enforcement officer, but admitted during Thursday’s hearing that he intentionally avoided the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Brett Blanton faced bipartisan heat last week during a hearing where members of both parties on the House Administration Committee called for his resignation.
Blanton said she didn’t think it was “wise” to come to work that day. Instead, he said his government vehicle served as his “mobile command post” during the attack and he listened to the police radio and issued orders from afar.
Blanton was a vote on a three-member Capitol Police Board tasked with making security decisions for the Congressional complex and overseeing the Capitol police force.
Meanwhile, an Oct. 26 report from the Office of the Inspector General said it found “evidence of criminal violations throughout the investigation.”
‘Blanton misled and provided false information to investigators on multiple occasions. Blanton used taxpayer dollars to finance an additional personal vehicle for his family. … Blanton’s actions have violated all the pillars under which the OIG operates, including theft, fraud, waste and abuse not only against the AOC but also against the taxpayer.’
Blanton is accused of using the government vehicle to drive throughout the Washington region, including as far as Florida and South Carolina with his family. The report says that he too posed as a law enforcement officer after a family member experienced a hit and run.
Biden fired Blanton on Monday following a request from Speaker Kevin McCarthy and members of the House Administration Committee.
Addressing the allegations publicly for the first time last week, Blanton said he used his federal vehicle in case he had to rush back to Capitol Hill in an emergency.
Another statement he made goes against that claim: The architect said he strategically planned his family vacation with easy access to a military airlift in case he needed to quickly return to Washington.
Blanton claimed no knowledge of the allegations that his 17-year-old daughter and wife were driving the government vehicle. “That would be something that would have to be discussed with them,” he told the committee.
“After having had the opportunity to respond to numerous allegations of legal, ethical and administrative violations, and failing to respond directly, the President has removed Mr. Brett Blanton from his position, a decision I strongly support,” said Rep. Joe Morelle. , DN.Y., a ranking member on the Management Committee, said in a statement after the removal.