J. Brett Blanton, the Architect of the Capitol, was fired by President Joe Biden on Monday following allegations that he misused government resources and was not physically present on the Capitol grounds during January 6, 2021, attack, a White House official said.

Biden “terminated” Blanton amid bipartisan calls for his firing or resignation earlier Monday.

“After doing our due diligence, the Architect of Capitol was terminated at the President’s direction,” the White House official said, according to CNN.

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An investigation conducted by the Architect of the Capitol Inspector General’s Office found Blanton had “abused his authority, misused government property and wasted taxpayer money, among other substantiated violations.”

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy called for Blanton’s dismissal Monday. “The Architect of the Capitol, Brett Blanton, no longer has my confidence to continue in his job. He should resign or President Biden should remove him immediately,” McCarthy tweeted.

Who is J. Brett Blanton?

James Brett Blanton served as Architect of the Capitol (AOC) from January 2020 overseeing the office of the Architect of the Capitol and its more than 2,400 employees. 

He got his Master of Science from Virginia Tech in Ocean Engineering and his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 1993. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering and a Certified Energy Manager. Blanton served in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps for 22 years. He retired from the Navy in 2015. He then served as Deputy Vice President for Engineering at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority which operates the Reagan National and Dulles International Airports.

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He was nominated by Donald Trump on December 9, 2019, for a ten-year term as Architect of the Capitol. He was sworn in on January 16, 2020.