A new report suggests the White House, in particular chief of staff John Kelly, has been inconsistent with its narrative regarding the dismissal of aide Rob Porter over allegations of domestic violence.
The Washington Post cited two senior officials as saying Kelly asked the West Wing Friday morning to say he took swift action against Porter on Wednesday once it became clear that the allegations made by his two ex-wives were credible. A photo of one of the women with a black eye was published in The Daily Mail early Wednesday.
"He told the staff he took immediate and direct action [within 40 minutes]," an official told the Post.
Other sources have told the news outlet that Kelly supported Porter behind the scenes and urged him not to resign as staff secretary until it was clear that he would have to step down when the abovementioned photo was published.
Kelly issued a statement Tuesday that was supportive of Porter, but he changed his tune in a Wednesday night statement in which he said there is "no place for domestic violence." He also praised Porter's work in the White House, adding that "every individual deserves the right to defend their reputation."
According to the Post, Kelly asked White House staffers Friday morning to spread the word that he cares about the issue of domestic violence.
It's been alleged that the White House knew about the allegations leveled at Porter for several months.
Kelly took over as chief of staff last July after the departure of Reince Priebus. He has been credited with stopping the flow of many of the leaks that emerged from the West Wing and tried to restore order and organization to the staff surrounding the president.
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