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Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The Office of the Inspector General is accusing the Architect of the Capitol of abusing his authority, misusing government property and ethics violations. The Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton was appointed by former President Donald Trump as the 12th person to hold the title. He is accused of giving tours of the capitol building to family members while the building was closed due to COVID-19 protocols in September 2020.
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Multiple social media posts were collected by the OIG from Blanton's wife Michelle. Posts included photos of government license plates and a photo of the couple in the dome of the capitol with the captions, ""This is happening!!!" and "All PATRIOTS welcome...PM me."
The caption was later edited to define "patriot" as a person who "loves America. Not a candidate."
The word "patriot" has been adopted by several right-wing fringe groups, some of which support an alternative to the Republican Party. Examples include the American Patriot Party of the United States based in Florida, which the Library of Congress files as a "right-wing extremist" group.
Michelle Blanton later posted that she brought the swim team she coaches on a tour of the capitol, again while it was closed. J. Brett Blanton and his family used government-issued vehicles, including two Ford Explorers and a Jeep Grand Cherokee, for personal use on a regular basis. While doing so he also allegedly misrepresented himself as law enforcement.
"Blanton utilized his position and AOC vehicles for private gain by using AOC fuel, allowing family to drive a vehicle covered by government insurance and using an AOC vehicle to pursue the driver who struck a vehicle outside of his residence," the report from the OIG said.
The role of the Architect of the Capitol is to maintain and develop the buildings and land that make up Capitol Hill.
The OIG's investigation into Blanton opened early in 2021 after someone reported a female driving Blanton's government-issued vehicle was driving recklessly, swerving, speeding, and making an obscene gesture. Blanton's wife, daughters, and friends and boyfriends of his daughters were found to have driven at least one of the vehicles in the report, even using one of the vehicles freely.
"She had transported both her friends and boyfriend in the vehicle and referred to using the AOC's fuel as 'free gas,'" the report said.
The U.S. attorney's offices in Washington, D.C., and the Eastern District of Virginia declined to file charges against Blanton. The OIG also submitted its findings to the IRS to investigate potential tax violations. Congressional oversight committees will also review the findings.
