A senior White House official announced Wednesday he is resigning following allegations by his two ex-wives of physical and emotional abuse.
The official, Rob Porter, served as the staff secretary and often controlled the paper flow to President Trump’s desk, along with his daily schedule. Porter also oversaw the White House’s policy implementation process and worked closely with Chief of Staff John F. Kelly to try to instill discipline in the chaotic West Wing. He spent hours of the day with Trump and frequently traveled with him on Air Force One.
Porter’s first wife, Colbie Holderness, said in an interview with the DailyMail.com that he was abusive during their marriage and alleged he punched in her the face during a trip to Florence in the early 2000s and provided photos to the publication showing her with a black eye.
“He was verbally, emotionally and physically abusive, and that is why I left,” she told the news site.
In a statement, Porter denied the allegations.
“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,” he said. “I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign. My commitment to public service speaks for itself. I have always put duty to country first and treated others with respect. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served in the Trump Administration and will seek to ensure a smooth transition when I leave the White House.”
It remains unclear when Porter will officially leave the White House.
Senior West Wing aides spent part of Wednesday morning preparing for the fallout from his departure. Many senior officials, including Kelly, urged Porter to stay, according to White House advisers.
Asked Wednesday if Trump had any concerns about the allegations against Porter or with the photos of Holderness, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said “I don’t know.”
One of Porter’s ex-wives, Jennifer Willoughby, received a temporary emergency protective order in June 2010 after saying he refused to leave her residence in violation of their separation agreement.
The document, a copy of which was obtained by The Post, concludes that “reasonable grounds exist to believe that [Porter] has committed family abuse and there is probable danger of a further such offense.”
Willoughby wrote that Porter “punched in the glass” on her door during the incident. “I called the police, afraid he would break in . . . When he heard me give my name and address to the 9-1-1 dispatcher, he drove off,” she wrote.
The White House scrambled Tuesday, after the story was first published, and Wednesday, after the photo of Holderness’s bruised right eye were posted, to deal with the allegations.
The White House issued statements of support late Tuesday from Kelly, Sanders and Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), Porter’s previous boss in the Senate.
“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. I am proud to serve alongside him,” Kelly said Tuesday night, hours before pictures appeared that included Holderness’s blackened eye.
On Tuesday night, Hatch released a statement supportive of Porter.
“It’s incredibly discouraging to see such a vile attack on such a decent man,” he said. “Shame on any publication that would print this — and shame on the politically motivated, morally bankrupt character assassins that would attempt to sully a man’s good name. I know Rob. I’ve known him for years, both as a close friend and as a personal advisor. He is kind and considerate towards all. The country needs more honest, principled people like Rob Porter, which is why I hope that this cynical campaign to discredit his character ultimately fails.”
Following the release of the photos of Holderness’s bruised eye Wednesday, Hatch released a new statement.
“I am heartbroken by today’s allegations. In every interaction I’ve had with Rob, he has been courteous, professional, and respectful,” he said. “My staff loved him and he was a trusted advisor. I do not know the details of Rob’s personal life. Domestic violence in any form is abhorrent. I am praying for Rob and those involved.”
Elise Viebeck, Tom Jackman and Philip Rucker contributed to this report.
Congressional leaders on Wednesday unveiled a sweeping budget deal that would add about $400 billion in federal spending over the next two years, delivering the military funding boost demanded by President Trump alongside the increase in domestic programs sought by Democrats.
With a midnight-Thursday government shutdown looming, the accord holds the promise to break a months-long partisan standoff centered around federal spending, though some roadblocks remain.
In a major lift for the package, the White House signaled its support, with press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders calling it “steps forward.” But several Republicans strenuously opposed a plan that would add to the nation’s debt.
“This spending bill is a debt junkie’s dream,” said Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), warning of trillion-dollar-a-year deficits. “I’m not only a no, I’m a hell no.”
According to outlines of the budget deal shared by congressional aides, existing spending limits written into law would be raised by a combined $315 billion through 2019. About $90 billion more would be spent on disaster aid for victims of recent hurricanes and wildfires.
Lawmakers described a deal that would keep the country from hitting the debt limit until after November’s midterm elections, typically a politically difficult vote for Republicans.
Top Senate leaders from both parties called the deal a breakthrough and a prelude to more cooperation between Republicans and Democrats.
“This bill represents a significant bipartisan step forward,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). “I hope we can build on this bipartisan momentum and make 2018 a year of significant achievement for Congress, for our constituents and for the country we all love.”
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, “This budget deal is the first real sprout of bipartisanship, and it should break the long cycle of spending crises that have snarled this Congress and hampered our middle class.”
Initial votes on the plan in the Senate could come as soon as Wednesday afternoon, but opposition to the deal was mounting in the House, where conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats found reasons to fume.
In one late-developing wrinkle, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that she and “a large number” of fellow Democrats will oppose a spending deal to keep the government open unless she is guaranteed a vote on immigration legislation.
The move came amid rising fury from House liberals and immigration activists as congressional leaders appeared on the cusp of announcing a massive two-year budget deal without a fix for “dreamers.”
Although it was not immediately clear how many Democrats would follow Pelosi’s lead, her announcement raised new uncertainty about whether congressional leaders would have the votes for passage.
House Republican leaders briefed rank-and-file members on the specifics of the deal, and divisions were evident within the GOP. Defense hawks hailed the pact for bringing stability to military spending after multiple short-term patches.
“We have spent a decade or more breaking our military and it’s going to cost some money to put it back together,” said Rep. Steve Russell (R-Okla.)
But Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) questioned the additional billions for the Pentagon.
“The amount of military spending, defense spending, is far above the president’s request. Far above it,” Corker said. “I’m all for supporting our military and I want to make sure they’re funded properly. It’s very difficult to have that big of increase in one year and then be able to use it wisely.”
[Senate leaders see two-year budget deal within their grasp]
In the Senate, McConnell brought a government shutdown to an end last month by guaranteeing a floor debate on immigration. Pelosi said she wanted the same commitment from House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.).
“Without that commitment from Speaker Ryan, comparable to the commitment from Leader McConnell, this package does not have my support, nor does it have the support of a large number of members of our caucus,” Pelosi said.
Young immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children, known as dreamers, are on the verge of losing their work permits after Trump announced he would end the program that protects them from deportation. Democrats had sought to use their leverage on spending legislation to achieve a fix for the dreamers, but without success.
Ryan spokeswoman AshLee Strong said that the speaker “has already repeatedly stated we intend to do a DACA and immigration reform bill — one that the president supports.” Trump moved last year to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which has given legal status to hundreds of thousands of dreamers. The program could end soon as next month.
Senate Democratic aides say that the budget deal contains numerous wins for the minority party, starting with major increases to domestic programs that the party has championed. The figures negotiated represent an equal increase for defense and nondefense spending over the levels set in the 2011 Budget Control Act.
But with the budget deal not expected to address the dreamers or any other immigration issue, Pelosi has to answer to angry members of her base.
She is facing internal pressure from immigrant supporters in her caucus who have pushed relentlessly in recent months to use what little leverage they have in the House minority to secure protections for dreamers. Of 193 voting House Democrats, only 45 supported the deal that reopened the government after a three-day shutdown last month.
[Yes, another government shutdown is entirely possible]
Rep. Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-Ill.), an outspoken leader of the party’s Latino bloc, said Tuesday that any budget deal that does not protect dreamers would represent “a complete betrayal of a key, core principle” for Democrats. He compared it to party leaders agreeing to close down Planned Parenthood clinics or ending federal recognition of same-sex marriages.
“Look, I can’t make it any clearer,” he said. “I would have to go back to the Democratic caucus and denounce any such proposal and anybody that was involved in making it. I cannot be a Democrat in good standing if they’re not going to share values.”
Pelosi made the announcement as she commandeered the House floor in an unusual maneuver, using rules that allow House leaders to speak on the floor as long as they want. She used the time to tell the stories of one dreamer after another.
“Why should we in the House be treated in such a humiliating way when the Republican Senate leader has given that opportunity in a bipartisan way to his membership?” Pelosi said. “What’s wrong? There’s something wrong with this picture.”
She said House Democrats met earlier Wednesday to discuss the situation and decided on the approach.
Pelosi’s dramatic House floor speech stretched on for several hours.
President Trump on Tuesday also threw immigration into the budget debate, saying he would welcome a shutdown if Congress did not address immigration reform, including funding for a border wall.
“I’d love to see a shutdown if we don’t get this stuff taken care of,” Trump said at a White House event focused on crime threats posed by some immigrants. “If we have to shut it down because the Democrats don’t want safety . . . let’s shut it down.”
