Government

White House Aide (And Former Sidley Attorney) Rob Porter Resigns Amid Domestic Abuse Allegations

He continues to deny the allegations, calling them part of a smear campaign.

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Rob Porter, a White House aide described by Politico as “mostly unknown but deeply influential,” has resigned after allegations of physical abuse from two ex-wives. As White House staff secretary he, along with Chief of Staff John Kelly, acted as a gatekeeper, limiting access to the President.

Apparently Porter’s importance in the Trump White House was not hindered by the allegations of abuse his ex-wives made against him. To be clear, both ex-wives told the FBI during the background check process, and he was still hired by the White House. But as Politico reports, he was denied a full security clearance, so I guess that’s something…

As first reported by the Daily Mail, in April of last year, Porter’s most recent ex-wife, Jennie Willoughby, wrote a blog post entitled, “Why I Stayed.” Though she doesn’t use Porter’s name in the piece, she blogs under her own. The allegations she details are chilling:

The first time he called me a “fucking bitch” was on our honeymoon. (I found out years later he had kicked his first wife on theirs.) A month later he physically prevented me from leaving the house. Less than two months after that, I filed a protective order with the police because he punched in the glass on our front door while I was locked inside. We bought a house to make up for it. Just after our one year anniversary, he pulled me, naked and dripping, from the shower to yell at me.

If that isn’t enough, his first ex-wife, Colbie Holderness, says there was a pattern of violence in her marriage to Porter as well. She also provided to The Intercept pictures of an injury she alleges he inflicted upon her during a vacation:

Holderness says she regrets not going to the police with the allegations against Porter:

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Holderness, who now works for the Government Accountability Office in Washington, explained that she ended up not going to the police out of fear. “I was too bewildered by the whole thing,” she told The Intercept. “Plus, I was too afraid to call the police during the entirety of our marriage, thinking they would consider the whole thing ridiculous and wouldn’t take me seriously.” She added, “Believe me, not calling the police is something I regret.”

Porter has quite the prestigious legal résumé. He was a Rhodes Scholar and received both his bachelor’s degree and J.D. from Harvard. He clerked for Judge Thomas Griffith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and worked at Biglaw firm Sidley Austin before turning to a life in politics. He worked for Senators Mike Lee, Rob Portman, and Orrin Hatch before winding up in the White House.

Some of his political contacts continue to think the world of him. John Kelly — despite the controversy his defense of Porter is causing in the West Wing — said:

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.

On Tuesday, Orrin Hatch called the allegations against Porter a “vile attack,” though in his most recent statement he walked back that sentiment. Now the senator says he didn’t know the details of Porter’s personal life and saying, “Domestic violence in any form is abhorrent and unacceptable.” But it is worth noting, even in a #metoo environment, the gut reaction of many men in power is to disbelieve women who come forward.

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Though Porter stepped down earlier today, he is still denying the allegations against him, calling them part of a 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.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says Porter was not pressured by the President to resign. Of course not.

headshotKathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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