Report: White House Counsel Knew of Porter Abuse Claims for Full Year

White House counsel Don McGahn was aware of domestic-violence allegations against staff secretary Rob Porter for a full year before the claims were made public this week, The Washington Post reports, citing two sources familiar with the matter. McGahn allowed Porter to continue serving as an aide to President Trump despite the allegations, while Chief of Staff John Kelly actually gave Porter more responsibilities this past fall after learning of the abuse claims, according to the report. Both of them were informed of the allegations by the FBI, which repeatedly warned the White House the domestic-violence accusations were preventing Porter from getting a full security clearance. McGahn also reportedly received a phone call from one of Porter’s ex-wives, but took no action. Porter, who resigned Wednesday, has denied the claims made by two of his ex-wives, who say he subjected them to verbal and physical abuse for years. The White House has come under fire for initially coming to Porter’s defense, with Kelly and Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders among those to praise his character and job performance.