Last week, President Joe Biden fired the architect of the Capitol (AOC), J. Brett Blanton, following bipartisan condemnation for his absence from the Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6 insurrection, and a report exposing his mismanagement of taxpayer funds and security lapses during the pandemic.

Appointed to a 10-year term by former President Donald Trump in 2019, Blantons unceremonious ouster cements his status as the shortest-tenured architect of the Capitol in the 230-year history of the position. The AOC is an important but little-known position that is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of buildings throughout the 450-acre land that makes up Capitol Hill. The AOC also serves on the Capitol Police Board.

Its normally a large position with little fanfare, unless, of course, a corrupt president appoints someone equally unscrupulous to hold office. While every president is limited in ability and reach, having only four years in office until reelection, some of Donald Trumps people have remained in positions of power long after his tenure has ended. Sadly, the AOC is not the only one.

In December 2019, Trump nominated Blanton to serve as Architect of the Capitol. He was quickly confirmed by the Republican-led Senate despite lacking a background in architecture like many of his predecessors.

Blantons noticeable corruption in office quickly drew public scrutiny after. In October 2021, an inspector general report revealed that Blanton misused thousands in government funds, impersonated law enforcement, and allowed his family personal use of government vehicles. In the fall of 2020, his wife gave Capitol tours to patriots while building access was restricted due to pandemic protocols. Following a disastrous hearing where Blanton blamed his daughter for his misconduct, he was accused of being untruthful , and admitted his absence on the Capitol grounds during the Jan. 6 attack.

President Biden was truly left with no choice but to fire the beleaguered Trump appointee. Although Blantons firing is a win for accountability, now leadership at an agency integral to the security of Congress will remain in limbo . It is important that the selection process of the next architect is transparent; the last time around, neither political party pressed for transparency, an obvious mistake given the Blanton debacle.