On Thursday, Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., grilled J. Brett Blanton, Architect of the Capitol (AOC), at a Congressional hearing about a scathing report that alleged misconduct and abuse of power.
A report from the AOC inspector general (IG) found that Blanton had repeatedly misused a government-issued vehicle. The 10-page summary of the investigation suggests he took personal trips with his family to Florida and South Carolina in his work car and allowed his daughter to drive it.
A complaint from a private citizen was also detailed, alleging Blanton was spotted “driving extremely reckless (sic) in the parking garage and swerving out of the garage at a high rate of speed, estimated to be about 65 miles per hour in a 30-mph zone,” in his work car as well.
The Architect of the Capitol maintains the buildings and area surrounding the U.S. Capitol, including 18.4 million square feet of facilities and 570 acres of grounds. The work involves general maintenance, as well as historic preservation of the Capitol and its fixtures.
Steil, who oversees the House Administration Committee — a panel responsible for oversight of the Architect of the Capitol, among other departments — told Spectrum News that the report was concerning, which is why he called the hearing.
“There’s a lot of questions that remain unanswered from the Architect of the Capitol, Mr. Blanton, but we’re going to continue to ask and ask those questions to make sure that this place is open and operational for the American people,” said Steil.
Steil was one of several lawmakers to press the Trump-appointed AOC head Thursday, voicing his frustrations with Blanton’s silence on the allegations before the hearing.
“From where I’m sitting, it seems to be that after three years under your leadership, the organization still faces significant challenges and the allegations in the IG report need to be addressed before the AOC as an organization can move on,” said Steil at the hearing.
Blanton pushed back on the report, claiming the IG misrepresented many of the claims against him.
“I wholeheartedly reject any assertion that I engaged in unethical behavior during my service to this country,” Blanton told lawmakers during the hearing.
Blanton argued that he drove the government vehicle on personal trips in case he had to get back to the Capitol in case of an emergency. But the IG report claims when the emergency arose, he abandoned that theory. The investigation found that Blanton was not present during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Blanton says he did not attempt to drive to the campus because there were too many people on the grounds.
“I was in that vehicle, listening to police radio, on my computer, on my phone, in support of Congress during that event,” he told Steil during the hearing. “It would have not been prudent to drive the vehicle back because there would’ve been next to no way to get on to this capitol with the number of people there.”
When asked what the next steps are, Steil replied: “I hope today’s hearing was a first step of having the Architect of the Capitol speak on the record about the Inspector General’s report. We’re going to continue to have oversight over this entity to make sure that the architecture of the Capitol’s office is accountable to the American people.”
“Accountability started today. We really are going to shift the tone here in the committee on House administration and have accountability over all of these legislative entities up here in Washington, and the impact that they have across the country,” he added.
Seeing as the sitting president nominates the AOC, he also has the power to fire him. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre commented on the IG report on Friday, saying President Joe Biden will seriously consider the advice from Congress on the matter
