John Kelly initially defended Rob Porter, accused by two ex-wives of physical and emotional abuse, but later said: ‘There is no place for domestic violence’

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

White House chief of staff John Kelly, a retired four-star general, said on Wednesday he was “shocked” by allegations of domestic abuse against a senior aide he had defended a day earlier as “a man of true integrity and honor … I can’t say enough good things about him”.

Donald Trump’s staff secretary Rob Porter, 40, resigned from his post Wednesday after two of his ex-wives aired allegations of physical and emotional abuse.

In a statement, Porter denied the allegations, which were first published on Wednesday by the Daily Mail.

“These outrageous allegations are simply false,” Porter said. “I took the photos given to the media nearly 15 years ago and the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described. I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign.

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Colbie Holderness, Porter’s first wife, told the Daily Mail that he was “verbally, emotionally and physically abusive, and that is why I left”. His second wife, Jennifer Willoughby, made similar allegations to the Mail, saying she had filed an emergency protective order. The article was published with photos appearing to show Holderness with a bruised eye and a copy of the protective order.

Porter worked closely with Kelly to regulate Trump’s meetings schedule and decide which documents reached his desk.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Jared Kushner, John Kelly, and Rob Porter at the White House. Photograph: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

While Kelly expressed shock at the allegations against Porter, who was promoted during Kelly’s tenure, Porter reportedly had difficulty gaining security clearances owing to the allegations against him.



“There is no place for domestic violence in our society,” Kelly said in his updated statement. “I stand by my previous comments of the Rob Porter that I have come to know since becoming chief of staff, and believe every individual deserves the right to defend their reputation.”

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters that Porter’s decision was a personal one, made independently of other White House officials.

On Tueday, Kelly issued a statement of personal support for Porter.

“He is a friend, a confidante and a trusted professional,” Kelly said. “I am proud to serve alongside him.”</s>White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter resigned on Wednesday after his two ex-wives accused him of physical and emotional abuse.

“He was verbally, emotionally and physically abusive, and that is why I left,” Colbie Holderness, Porter’s first wife, told The Daily Mail earlier in the morning. Accompanying the article were pictures of Holderness beaten and bruised, allegedly from Porter during a trip to Florence in the early 2000s.

Porter denied the allegations in a statement provided to media outlets.

“These outrageous allegations are simply false. I took the photos given to the media nearly 15 years ago, and the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described,” the statement reads. “I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign. My commitment to public service speaks for itself. I have always put duty to country first and treated others with respect. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served in the Trump administration and will seek to ensure a smooth transition when I leave the White House.”

Holderness’ accusation followed a similar claim made by Porter’s second wife, Jennifer Willoughby, on Tuesday. Willoughby told The Daily Mail about an instance where Porter pulled her naked from a shower by the shoulders to yell at her.

“In the first weeks and months, his explanation for his anger was that his first marriage had been very toxic, rooted in arguments, accusations and manipulation, and he was carrying over from that relationship,” Willoughby told the outlet. “He would say that he was so used to being treated this way by his ex-wife, that he was projecting that on to me. That was the explanation.”

The Daily Mail also published a copy of an emergency protective order obtained by Willoughby against Porter, which concluded that “reasonable grounds exist to believe that [Porter] has committed family abuse and there is probable danger of a further such offense.”

Sources told the outlet that both women were considered part of Porter’s “dark past” and were cited as reasons why the official was denied security clearances.

The former chief-of-staff to Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), Porter was responsible for controlling President Donald Trump’s schedule and reviewing all documents that reached his desk.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders described Porter as “someone of the highest integrity and exemplary character” in response to the allegations.</s>White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter has resigned amid allegations that he abused two of his ex-wives.

The Daily Mail reported on domestic abuse allegations on Wednesday from two of Porter’s ex-wives, Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby, who shared stories and photo evidence of repeated physical abuse.

According to Axios, Porter had been urged by some White House staff including Gen. John Kelly to “stay and fight” for his position.

Porter, the Daily Mail previously reported, is currently in a relationship with White House Communications Director Hope Hicks and was a close ally of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Porter denied the allegations in a statement on Wednesday, describing them as “false” and “vile claims”:

These outrageous allegations are simply false. I took the photos given to the media nearly 15 years ago and the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described. I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign. My commitment to public service speaks for itself. I have always put duty to country first and treated others with respect,” he continued. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served in the Trump Administration and will seek to ensure a smooth transition when I leave the White House.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), who employed Porter as his chief of staff, said he he was “heatbroken” by the allegations.

Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, on Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com.</s>On Wednesday, Rob Porter, 40, resigned from his role of White House staff secretary following physical and emotional abuse allegations by both of his ex-wives.

Porter’s second wife Jennifer Willoughby,39, was the first to go on record about the alleged abuse in a gut-wrenching interview with the Washington Post about the alleged physical and mental abuse she suffered at the hands of Porter.

Willoughby recalled an alleged incident where her former husband pulled her out of a shower naked during an argument.

However, The White House initially gave Porter its full support following the release of the video.

That was until Porter’s first wife, Colbie Holderness, 37, came forward with pictures to support the physical and emotional abuse allegations against her former husband that the Porter resigned from his position.

Holderness, who is now a senior analyst for the U.S. government was married to Rob Porter for 5-years from 2003-2008.

She went on record about Porter’s alleged abuse saying it wasn’t physical until after they were married listing an alleged incident in 2005 where he threw her down on a bed and punched her in the face during a vacation in Italy. (Pictures above are related to the alleged Italian vacation attack.)

Porter has recently been linked to White House Communications Director, Hope Hicks, 29 when pictures of the couple surfaced just 10 days ago.

Porter resigned Wednesday night in a statement denying all the allegations against him.

Hicks who is dating him, helped craft his public statement.

Some reports say the White House knew of the allegations in November, but allowed him to stay on the job without a full security clearance.

The post Trump Staff Secretary, Rob Porter, Resigns Following Abuse Allegations appeared first on 850 WFTL.</s>White House staff secretary Rob Porter has resigned following newly published reports alleging that he physically abused his two ex-wives.

Porter’s ex-wife, Jennifer Willoughby, said he emotionally, mentally and physically abused her, according to a report in The Daily Mail. After getting into an argument with her in 2010, Porter allegedly pulled her from the shower by the shoulders and yelled at her.

Colbie Holderness, Porter’s first wife, alleged that he punched her in 2005.

“He threw me down on the bed and punched me in the face,” Holderness told The Intercept. “I think he was shocked that he had lost control to that extent.”

Holderness provided photos to the publication showing a black eye she said she sustained during the incident.

Senior White House aide Rob Porter physically assaulted two ex-wives, they tell @theintercept. Full story to come in the morning. 



His first wife, Colbie Holderness, provided these photos from a vacation they took together in Florence, Italy: pic.twitter.com/tl3TbyGA8Y — Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) February 7, 2018

“These outrageous allegations are simply false,” Porter said in a statement. “I took the photos given to the media nearly 15 years ago and the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described.”

“I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign,” Porter added.

“Rob Porter is a man of true integrity and honor and I can’t say enough good things about him,” Kelly said. “He is a friend, a confidante, and a trusted professional. I am proud to serve alongside him.”

It’s unclear when Porter’s last day will be. In a press conference Wednesday afternoon, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders did not say whether or not President Donald Trump believes the allegations against Porter.</s>White House staff secretary Rob Porter, a top aide to President Donald Trump, has resigned following allegations of abuse from his two former wives. Porter denied the allegations in a statement issued in the wake of his resignation on Wednesday, reports CNN. “These outrageous allegations are simply false,” he said in his statement. “I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign.” Porter resigned over the objections of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and others, a White House official said.

However, Kelly said: “Rob Porter is a man of true integrity and honour 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.” The allegations were first reported by the Daily Mail earlier this week, CNN reported. Porter has been dating White House communications director Hope Hicks, one of the most influential figures in the West Wing, several people familiar with their relationship have said.

His last day at the White House has not yet been set, according to White House press secretary Sarah Sanders, who added that Porter will stay on to ensure a smooth transition to his successor. Porter, a graduate of Harvard Law School and a Rhodes scholar, previously worked for Republican Senators Orrin Hatch, Rob Portman and Mike Lee. Porter joined the White House at the beginning of Trump’s administration. As staff secretary, Porter’s responsibility was mainly in the flow of paper that crossed

Trump’s desk, including the wave of executive orders and actions that Trump inked during the first months of his tenure. A lawyer, Porter also participated in the process of legal vetting the myriad documents that require the President’s signature.</s>White House staff secretary Rob Porter resigned Wednesday in the wake of accusations by two ex-wives that he abused them.

Mr. Porter, who has been with President Trump since the inauguration more than a year ago, denied the allegations but said he would not fight a “smear campaign” in public.

“These outrageous allegations are simply false,” Mr. Porter said in a statement. “I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign.”

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Mr. Porter “has been effective in his role as staff secretary,” and the president had confidence in his job performance. She said Mr. Porter’s departure will not be immediate and he was not pressured to leave.

She would not answer questions about whether Mr. Porter’s security clearance has been revoked.

Mr. Porter’s first wife, Colbie Holderness, alleged in an interview with the Daily Mail on Wednesday that he kicked her on their honeymoon, also choking and punching her. She provided pictures of her injuries.

His second wife, Jennifer Willoughy, told the Daily Mail that he pulled her naked from a shower and was verbally abusive. The Daily Mail also obtained a police complaint from 2010 alleging that Mr. Porter punched the glass on a door at their home, prompting her to file a temporary protective order.

Mr. Porter said he took the photos of his first wife nearly 15 years ago, “and the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described.”

“My commitment to public service speaks for itself,” he said. “I have always put duty to country first and treated others with respect. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served in the Trump administration and will seek to ensure a smooth transition when I leave the White House.”</s>A senior White House official resigned Wednesday amid allegations he abused his two ex-wives.

Rob Porter, the White House staff secretary worked closely with chief of staff John Kelly and controlled the paper flow to President Trump’s desk,will step down, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

The allegations against Porter by his ex-wives were first reported by Dailymail.com as the site also reported that he was dating Trump communications director Hope Hicks.

Colbie Holderness, Porter’s first wife, provided The Intercept with a 2005 photo showing a bruised right eye, which she alleged was from a punch thrown by the 38-year-old White House staffer.

His second wife said she filed and received an emergency protective order against Porter.

She also confirmed a blog post she wrote last year that detailed her abusive relationship without naming Porter.

Porter blamed Holderness for his abuse of his second, according to Willoughby.

“In the first weeks and months, his explanation for his anger was that his first marriage had been very toxic, rooted in arguments, accusations and manipulation and he was carrying over from that relationship,” she told the Daily Mail. “He would say that he was so used to being treated this way by his ex-wife that he was projecting that on to me. That was the explanation.”

Porter once dragged Willoughby naked from a shower by the shoulders and yelled at her.

But Porter’s former spouse said that she believes his issues are “personal and intimate” and would not have any ill effect on his job performance.

Porter denied the allegations of abuse in a statement detailing his departure.

“These outrageous allegations are simply false. I took the photos given to the media nearly 15 years ago and the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described,” Porter said in a statement read by Sanders. “I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign.”

Kelly and others in the West Wing encouraged Porter to stay on at the White House, according to the Washington Post.

“My commitment to public service speaks for itself,” Porter said. “I have always put duty to country first and treated others with respect. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served in the Trump Administration and will seek to ensure a smooth transition when I leave the White House.”</s>White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter resigned Wednesday in the wake of multiple allegations of domestic violence by his ex-wives who spoke on the record to The Daily Mail.

Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announced the resignation at the White House daily briefing. She said Porter's departure would not be immediate but would come at a date to be determined.

ABC News does not yet have comment from Porter's ex-wives, one of whom sought and received a restraining order against him in 2010, according to documents reviewed by ABC News.

Porter has denied the allegations, saying today in a statement that the new Daily Mail reports amount to a "coordinated smear campaign."

"These outrageous allegations are simply false. I took the photos given to the media nearly 15 years ago and the reality behind them is nowhere close to what is being described. I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign," Porter said in a statement Sanders read from the podium.

“My commitment to public service speaks for itself. I have always put duty to country first and treated others with respect. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served in the Trump Administration and will seek to ensure a smooth transition when I leave the White House," Porter said in the statement.

Porter worked closely with Chief of Staff John Kelly to manage the flow of information to the president’s desk, the two serving as the final gatekeepers.

He played a key role in writing the State of the Union address that President Trump delivered last week and is frequently part of the small group of senior aides that travel with the President.

Asked by ABC News whether the president was aware of the allegations against Porter and had any concerns, Sanders said she had not spoken with the president and declined to comment further.</s>What started as tabloid gossip about a relationship between White House Communications Director Hope Hicks and outgoing top aide Rob Porter, whose job included controlling the flow of papers and information to the President, has spiraled into a political firestorm that includes accusations of domestic abuse and a Pennsylvania Avenue cover-up. Here's what you need to know.

Porter Was First Accused Of Domestic Abuse By His Ex-Wives In The Daily Mail

On Tuesday evening, following a previous report on the relationship between Hicks and Porter, British tabloid The Daily Mail published a piece documenting allegations of domestic abuse against him. Both of Porter's ex-wives, Jennifer Willoughby and Colbie Holderness, told The Mail that Porter was physically, verbally and emotionally abusive.

Willoughby, Porter's second wife, told The Mail that he "dragged me by my shoulders out fo the shower to yell," called her a "fucking bitch" on their honeymoon in 2009, and mentally abused her:

"Over the course of the years of our marriage, I can think of several times where I was collapsing on the ground in tears and saying, 'just leave me alone, just stop' because the anger and the insults were too much. "[He would say] that I was worthless, that I was a liar. This is not one instance, these are things that he might have said in a rage. That I always got my way, that I was selfish, that I didn't care about him, about his needs. Any version of those types of statements, heard enough times, with enough force behind them are devastating."

After the couple's separation, Porter allegedly violated the separation agreement, coming to Willoughby's apartment and punching a glass door. Following the incident, Willoughby got a protective order (pictured here) against Porter.

Willoughby wrote about her experiences with Porter in a blog post in April 2017.

Later, The Intercept And The Mail Published More Detailed And Disturbing Accounts Of Physical Abuse

On Wednesday, The Intercept published a more detailed account from Porter's first wife Colbie Holderness. Holderness told The Intercept that on their honeymoon in the Canary Islands in 2003, "He threw me down on the bed and punched me in the face." Holderness also shared multiple photos of herself with a black eye that followed the alleged incident. She says the incident was not the first time Porter had abused her:

He would get angry and throw me down on a soft surface — to his credit, it was always a soft surface like a couch or a bed — and he would lay on top of me shaking me, or rubbing an elbow or a knee into me. He graduated to choking me, not ever hard enough to make me pass out, or frankly to leave marks, but it was frightening and dehumanizing.



She told The Daily Mail in another article that "He was angry because we weren't having sex when he wanted to have sex and he kicked me."

The FBI And The White House Reportedly Knew

The shocking allegations aren't new to the White House, according to multiple sources. The Intercept reports that Holderness provided her account and photos to the FBI while they were conducting a background check on Porter last year.

Politico reports that the FBI investigation resulted in Porter's inability to receive a security clearance in November, which prevented him from getting a promotion to Chief of Staff John Kelly's top deputy.

According to two White House officials, Porter told White House staff that the allegations were made up, says The New York Times.

The Daily Beast reports, however, Chief Of Staff John Kelly personally asked Porter not to quit.

Even After The Reports, The White House Defended Porter

Despite reportedly knowing about the allegations previously, the White House chose to back Porter after the first allegations came out.

For the initial Daily Mail article, Chief Of Staff John Kelly gave Porter enthusiastic backing, saying "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."



Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said "I have worked directly with Rob Porter nearly every day for the last year and the person I know is someone of the highest integrity and exemplary character."



After the photos surfaced, Porter denied the allegations, calling them "outrageous" and "false."

Late Wednesday, Chief of Staff Kelly amended his comments, saying he "was shocked by the new allegations," despite reports that he knew about the allegations in November. He went on to say "There is no place for domestic violence in our society."

At the daily press conference, the press secretary told reporters that Porter would resign, but that "he has been an effective in his role as staff secretary," and that "The president and chief of staff have full confidence and trust in his abilities and his performance." She read Porter's full statement following her own.v



Porter Is Reportedly Dating Hope Hicks Who May Have Played A Part In The White House's Defense Of Porter

It has now been reported by multiple outlets that Porter and Hicks are dating. CBS reports that Hicks played an integral part in crafting Kelly and Sanders' response to the allegations of abuse, raising questions about Hicks' motivations and objectivity in the matter.
Rob Porter resigns as White House Staff Secretary after two of his ex-wives make allegations of physical and emotional abuse. Porter denies the allegations, which were first published by the Daily Mail.