Inspector General report leads to Biden firing Trump’s Architect of the Capitol
President Joe Biden has fired the Architect of the Capitol — Brett Blanton — after an Inspector General report determined that the Trump appointee not only allowed family members to use government vehicles but misrepresented himself as a member of law enforcement.
Prompted by a 2021 complaint made on the agency’s hotline, an investigation by the AOC’s Inspector General’s Office accuses Blanton of “abusing his authority, misusing government property, and wasting taxpayer money” for over two years beginning in January 2020.
In March of 2021, the OIG received a tip regarding a black Ford Explorer with an official AOC license plate driving recklessly in the garage of a Walmart in the upscale D.C. suburb of Tyson’s Corner, VA.
A young woman thought to be in their 20s or 30s was reportedly driving — speeding out of the garage at over 30 miles past the posted 30 mph limit before making obscene gestures at the complainant and their passenger at a nearby stop sign.
This was the second incident involving the same vehicle. In December 2020, a complaint was made to the General Services Administration (GSA).
“The OIG later identified the driver and passenger to be the daughters of Mr. James Brett Blanton, SR-00, Architect of the Capitol,” the report states. “The OIG determined the Ford Explorer (AOC 053A) was assigned to the Office of the Chief Security Officer (OCSO) and utilized by Blanton.”
According to the report, Blanton’s wife and daughter regularly used vehicles assigned to Mr. Blanton and the family took unauthorized trips out of the state — racking up nearly double the amount of miles typically used by the Architect between three automobiles.
NEW: President Joe Biden has reportedly fired Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton. As I reported back in November, an OIG report accused him of abusing his authority, misusing government property and wasting taxpayer money. https://t.co/oH7NXP76Qy
— Jordan Fischer (@JordanOnRecord) February 13, 2023
Read the entire report below.
“Blanton should have driven approximately 10,438 miles based on the AOC’s Time and Attendance System,” local CBS affiliate WUSA9 reported. “Instead a total of 29,291 miles were recorded across three vehicles.”
The controversy doesn’t end there.
In May 2020, Blanton got in a minor fender bender while driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee being leased by the agency for a trip to a Virginia brewery.
The Architect falsely told the other driver that he was an “agent,” and refused to hand over insurance information. Instead, telling the driver that the government would handle the claim.
It would only be a month before Blanton again misused a government vehicle, this time to chase down a vehicle that hit a car belonging to the boyfriend of one of his daughters.
Using the government vehicle’s emergency equipment, Blanton eventually caught up to the hit-and-run driver — detaining them until local police arrived.
Police reports refer to the Architect as an “off-duty DC police officer.”
The ruse continued in court as Blanton failed to inform the court that he was in fact not a police officer.
“Interviews confirmed that, based on Blanton’s statements, affirmative movements, use of law-enforcement-equipped vehicle and credentials, the Fairfax County Police Officers, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney and defense counsel all believed Blanton was an off-duty law enforcement officer throughout the entire court proceedings,” the Office of the Inspector General reported.
The AOC OIG has turned its findings over to the United States Government Accountability Office after both the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in D.C. and Virginia’s Eastern District declined to prosecute.
The report also alleges over $12,000 in unreported benefits for unauthorized use of the vehicles by the Blanton family.
Mr. Blanton denies having done anything wrong and insists the AOC’s former acting architect and general counsel “advised him of permissible use of the vehicle,” a claim that was refuted in interviews.
“Blanton’s actions have violated every pillar the OIG operates under including theft, fraud, waste, and abuse against not only the AOC but also the taxpayer,” the report states.
Blanton, a former Capitol Police Board Member, has been referred to the Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Virginia, as well as the IRS.
President Biden’s decision to oust the Architect appointed by his predecessor comes after calls from both sides of the aisle to fire Blanton.
“The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job,” House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) tweeted on Monday. “He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately.”
Blanton testified before the House Administration Committee last week, but the panel wasn’t impressed.
His refusal to answer questions about his actions on January 6th didn’t sit well with the lawmakers, including the committee’s chair, Brian Steil (R-WI).
Congressman Joseph Morelle (D-NY) joined his Republican colleagues in condemning Blanton’s lack of transparency, demanding the resignation of Trump’s pick for the 10-year position.
“He provided no meaningful or credible defense. Instead, he chose to be vague and evasive and attempted to place blame on others. Based on the conduct alleged by the Inspector General and today’s testimony, I am no longer confident in Mr. Blanton’s ability to effectively perform the duties of his office. He must resign immediately,” Rep. Morelle said.
Mr. Blanton assumed the role during the previous administration, and was on duty on January 6th but made the ill-fated decision not to enter the Capitol.
Instead, the official chose to remain in his government-assigned vehicle working from a laptop.
With his refusal to hold himself accountable for his misdeeds, the ex-federal government employee has deflected responsibility.
Details of the OIG’s report confirm that President Biden made a swift and judicious decision to remove Blanton from his post as the country seeks to rebuild in the aftermath of the worst attack on the nation’s democracy in recent history — bringing us one step closer to repairing the damage done to the faith in America’s democratic institutions partly destroyed by the previous administration.
Read the report here.
This is a developing story.
Original reporting by Jordan Fischer at WUSA9.
Follow Ty Ross on Twitter @cooltxchick
