Trump aides knew of allegations
President’s staff secretary resigned over domestic abuse.
WASHINGTON — Senior White House aides had heard of domestic violence allegations against President Donald Trump’s staff secretary before reports published on Tuesday and Wednesday that led to his resignation, four people familiar with the matter said.
It was not clear who among Trump’s top aides knew of Staff Secretary Rob Porter’s history with his two ex-wives, or how much they knew. Trump himself was unaware of the allegations before the DailyMail.com approached the White House on Tuesday with details of an interview with one of the former wives, two officials said.
Porter announced on Wednesday he would resign, after The Intercept published an interview with a second ex-wife and a photo of what she said was a black eye inflicted by Porter. He denied both of the ex-wives’ allegations.
His last day at the White House was Thursday, a person familiar with the matter said.
Trump didn’t mention Porter when he gathered with members of Congress, members of the military and former Vice President Dick Cheney at the White House on Tuesday evening to watch the movie “12 Strong.” Porter’s situation wasn’t discussed in the White House’s senior staff meeting on Wednesday led by chief of staff John Kelly, but it was addressed in smaller groups, aides said.
After issuing a complimentary statement on Porter earlier on Wednesday, Kelly said in the evening that he “was shocked by the new allegations released today. There is no place for domestic violence in our society.”
Porter’s title understates his significance in the White House. He served as a clearinghouse for paperwork coming in or out of the Oval Office, and he was an important influence on policy in his own right. Few aides enjoyed greater access to the Oval Office, or spent more time in the president’s company. He also played a vital role in helping Kelly try to bring order to the White House.
Allegations of domestic violence can be grounds for the government to deny security clearances to aspiring officials. Yet Porter had sat in on meetings of the National Security Council where top secret matters were discussed, according to three people familiar with the situation. Someone in his position would have had an interim clearance while the FBI conducted a background check, according to one official.
Senior staff at the White House apply for five-year clearances, and the process can be lengthy — some current officials are still waiting, aides said.
It is not clear whether Porter ever received a permanent security clearance.
“The fact that Porter might have held a senior White House position without a security clearance is troubling and merits a full investigation,” said Chris Lu, former cabinet secretary under President Barack Obama.
Porter’s exit is another embarrassing staffing setback for Trump and further turbulence for his National Security Council.