Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) asked former Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton when he plans to compensate taxpayers for the nearly $14,000 he spent while allegedly misusing government vehicles.
Grassley penned a letter to Blanton on Wednesday after the inspector general‘s office found that the former architect and his family repeatedly misused government vehicles meant for transporting people to and from the office. The inspector general claimed Blanton’s misuse caused wear and tear on the vehicles.
EXPLAINER: THE ROLE OF THE ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL
“The OIG report describes conduct that is the very example of what a government employee should never do,” Grassley said in the letter. “Government employees exist to serve the people, not fleece them. Considering the OIG report’s clear findings, when will you repay the American taxpayer the $13,926.56 that you illegally cost them?”
Grassley noted that the costs for the vehicles could actually be higher than the $14,000 estimated by the inspector general since he had remained in office several months after the report came out in October. Blanton was dismissed by President Joe Biden last week, but he has rejected any notion that he behaved unethically during his tenure as the Capitol architect.
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The Iowa senator also sent a similar letter to acting Architect of the Capitol Chere Rexroat, the Capitol’s former chief engineer, asking when she planned to demand the repayment. He also asked for her plans to avoid similar abuses of power from occurring again.
Grassley requested responses to both letters by March 8, 2023.
