Timing on aide’s alleged abuse undisclosed

WASHINGTON » White House spokesman Raj Shah on Thursday declined to specify when senior officials first became aware of allegations that staff secretary Rob Porter had physically and emotionally abused his two ex-wives but acknowledged the White House could have better handled the episode.

Shah said that President Donald Trump only learned of the allegations from media reports on Tuesday night and thatWhiteHouse chief of staff John Kelly did not become” fully aware” of the alleged abuse until Wednesday. Pressed during a White House briefing on what he meant by “fully aware,” Shah offered limited elaboration, saying Kelly did not see photographs showing the black eye of one of Porter’s exwives until Wednesday.

As he was peppered with questions, Shah did not rule out the possibility Kelly and other senior White House officials knew about the allegations — which Porter has denied — long before they surfaced in the media. The Washington Post has reported White House aides had been aware generally of accusations against Porter since late last year and that Kelly urged Porter to stay even after the photographs surfaced.

Shah said Porter, whose job included presenting Trump with classified documents, was serving in the White House with a temporary security clearance while law enforcement officials continued to conduct a comprehensive background check. Both of Porter’s ex-wives have said they detailed their allegations to FBI agents in January as part of the security clearance review.

Because the review was still ongoing, Shah said there had been no determination one way or another whether Porter qualified for a permanent security clearance.

Shah said that Trump did not know of the status of Porter’s security clearance. Upon learning of the allegations, the president was “saddened for all the individuals involved,” Shah said.

Shah said statements supportive of Porter crafted by White House officials on Tuesday night when approached by a reporter from DailyMail.com “ref lected the Rob Porter we’ve come to know.”

After defending Porter on Tuesday night, Kelly issued a statement Wednesday saying hewas “shocked” by Porter’s alleged abuses while still expressing personal support for his close aide.