President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Gen. John Kelly, has offered all White House staffers counseling services following the resignation of Staff Secretary Rob Porter amid domestic abuse allegations.
“While we are all processing the shocking and troubling allegations made against a former White House staffer, I want you to remember that we take matters of domestic violence very seriously. Domestic violence is abhorrent and has no place in our society,” Kelly wrote in a memo.
“We understand the shock, pain, and confusion that these allegations have caused in our workplace,” he continued. “It is important for me to tell you – you are not alone. Resources are available here at the White House for anyone who is seeking counseling”:
The memo follows Porter’s resignation in the wake of domestic abuse allegations from two of his ex-wives, Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby, who shared stories and photo evidence of alleged repeated physical abuse.
According to Axios, Porter had been urged by some White House staff, including Kelly, to “stay and fight” for his position.
On Thursday, Raj Shah, the White House principal deputy press secretary, refused to comment on whether Kelly was previously aware of the allegations, saying that he would not go into the “specifics” of who knew what and when.
Porter, who is currently in a relationship with the White House communications director, Hope Hicks, and was a close ally of Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has vehemently denied all the allegations against him.
“These outrageous allegations are simply false,” Porter said on Wednesday. “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.”
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