A federal watchdog accused the Architect of the Capitol of abusing his authority, wasting taxpayer money, and misusing government property in a scathing report. The Office of the Inspector General said J. Brett Blanton—Donald Trump’s appointee to the role tasked with the maintenance and operation of the U.S. Capitol complex—offered a “private tour” to “patriots” in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election while the Capitol was closed to the public due to COVID. Blanton’s wife, Michelle Blanton, is said to have posted a photo of herself and her husband in the Capitol dome in September 2020 along with the caption: “All PATRIOTS welcome…PM me.” A later post read: “Contact me for a private tour. All PATRIOTS accepted!” The report also accused Blanton of allowing his family members to drive cars assigned to him solely for official use. On one occasion, Blanton himself allegedly used a black Jeep Cherokee fitted with police lights and a siren to pursue a hit-and-run driver who crashed into a vehicle belonging to his daughter’s boyfriend. The report said witnesses suggested Blanton had “activated the emergency equipment” on the Jeep during the pursuit.
