Trump appointee forced to pay back U.S. Treasury for misuse of funds

Former Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton saw money withheld from his final paycheck in order to pay back the federal government for U.S. taxpayer money that was "misused," according to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

Grassley shared a letter from Acting Architect of the Capitol Chere Rexroat that said about $12,500 was withheld from Blanton's final paycheck because he refused to repay the money himself. The remaining amount, about $1,400, was repaid through insurance, NBC News reported.

"When dealing with trillions of dollars in government spending, a dozen-or-so thousand can seem like an insignificant amount. However, this amount would be important to a family struggling to make ends meet in a time of record inflation and price hikes," Grassley said in remarks on the Senate floor.

A report from the inspector general found that Blanton engaged in "unauthorized vehicle use, misrepresentation as a law enforcement officer, ethics violations, and lastly appropriations violations."

"In total, the Inspector General identified $13,926 of inappropriate costs associated with Blanton’s use of government vehicles," Grassley said.

Blanton was fired by President Joe Biden in mid-February after the inspector general's revelations. Blanton was nominated to a 10-year term by former President Donald Trump.