Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton’s problems worsened Monday as Speaker Kevin McCarthy and House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil joined the growing list of lawmakers calling for his resignation.
Blanton, who was appointed to the role by former President Donald Trump in 2019, was called in to testify before the House Administration Committee on Thursday in part to answer for a damning inspector general report, released in October, that alleged a litany of ethical violations. Blanton further angered lawmakers at the hearing by evading questions and admitting that he failed to respond to the Capitol in person on Jan. 6, 2021, when the campus he’s sworn to protect was under siege.
“The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job,” McCarthy tweeted Monday. “He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately.”
Steil, whose committee is responsible for oversight of the architect, along with the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, followed McCarthy’s tweet with a statement released minutes later.
