White House aide quits after abuse claim

WASHINGTON — Rob Porter, the White House staff secretary, resigned Wednesday, a day after his two ex-wives accused him in interviews of physical abuse when they were married to him.

Porter’s decision to step down came after West Wing officials had urged him to remain in his job and offered a vigorous defense of him in the face of the accusations by Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby, his ex-wives, including photos of injuries distributed by Holderness.

“These outrageous allegations are simply false,” Porter said in a statement announcing his resignation. “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.” He said he would not “further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign.”

Porter, 40, was widely considered a rising star by his colleagues and was an ally of John Kelly, the chief of staff.

Willoughby, Porter’s second wife, did not respond to a phone call on Wednesday. But, in an emergency protective order she filed against him in an Arlington, Va., court in June 2010, she accused him of growing angry when she said he had violated a private separation agreement.

Holderness, Porter’s first wife, described their relationship as “verbally, emotionally and physically abusive” in an interview with The Daily Mail.