Biden fires Architect of the Capitol after calls for his resignation

CNN
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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…