White House staff secretary Rob Porter has resigned following domestic abuse allegations from his two ex-wives. Porter issued a statement after his resignation.
“These outrageous allegations are simply false. I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign,” Porter wrote.
Porter resigned over the objections of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, along with others. “Rob Porter is a man of true integrity and honor and I can’t say enough good things about him. He is a friend, a confidante and a trusted professional. I am proud to serve alongside him,” Kelly said in a statement.
When Kelly became Chief of Staff, Porter’s role at the White House expanded. Kelly, it’s been noted, has imposed strict controls on the information flows to the President. Porter’s role was to manage the documents, news stories and briefings that made their way to the Oval Office. He was also someone who became a neutral arbiter between warring White House factions. Kelly came to view him as a right-hand man.
Porter’s first wife claimed that Porter subjected her to numerous incidents of abuse, including punching her and giving her a black eye while on vacation in Florence, Italy, in the early 2000s. His second wife filed an order of protection against Porter after he allegedly violated their separation agreement, refused to leave their Northern Virginia apartment and punched out the glass on the door, cutting his hand.
A date for Porter’s departure from the White House has not been set.