http://www.nydailynews.com/news/pol...y-notified-w-h-porter-march-article-1.3817796
FBI director says bureau told White House about ex-aide Rob Porter's alleged domestic abuse nearly a year ago
(Ya don't say? Of COURSE they all knew, how the fuck does somebody have access to top secret info for over a year with "interim" status if something isn't wrong? The people who work underneath that scumbag Kelly are turning on him like rabid dogs, lol. Even Scaramucci says he gotta go, lol. These 2 aides, Bannon, Twittler himself, apparently ya can't hire "the best people" without some of them being wife beaters.)
FBI Director Christopher Wray contradicted the Trump administration’s version of events surrounding ex-staffer Rob Porter’s violent past on Tuesday — sending the White House scrambling to try to get its story straight.
The bureau first reached out to the White House in March of last year, Wray told lawmakers on Tuesday. By July, the agency completed its security clearance background check for the disgraced former staff secretary, who resigned last week amid allegations of domestic abuse by his two ex-wives, Wray said.
The review was “administratively closed” last month.
The sequence of events laid out by Wray runs counter to the White House’s claim that Porter’s FBI background check was still ongoing, and that the charges against him were a shock.
White House won't explain why Trump hasn't decried domestic abuse
On Monday, spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders suggested the FBI was to blame for Porter’s continued presence in the White House because it hadn’t finished its work.
“I‘m quite confident that in this particular instance, the FBI followed established protocols,” Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee.
White House officials had said they were first contacted by the FBI over the summer, but that they were unaware of the extent of the allegations. They have also repeatedly claimed that the FBI never completed its investigation.
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Wray told the Senate intelligence committee that a partial report about Porter was provided to the White House in March — likely a tip-off that there were red flags, experts said.
Rob Porter's ex-wife recalls struggle to leave abusive marriage
A completed background investigation was delivered in late July and a request for a follow up soon followed.
The bureau responded by November with even more information.
The file was closed last month and then, Wray said, the FBI received more information earlier this month that was passed on to the White House.
President Donald Trump's Chief of Staff John Kelly, left, White House chief economic adviser Gary Cohn, center, and White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter, right, arrive at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018, for a short trip to the White House after accompanying President Donald Trump at the 2018 House and Senate Republican Member Conference at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WVa. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
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Porter had been working as one of Trump’s top aides under a temporary clearance that allowed him access to classified information.
Kelly likely to exit White House over Porter abuse scandal
Sanders maintained Tuesday that the administration only found out about the extent of the allegations against Porter last week — following the release of a disturbing photo of one of his former spouses sporting a bruised black eye.
Sanders said that while the “FBI portion was closed,” the White House personnel security office had yet to finish its review of Porter — and that she didn’t know if any information received was shared with political appointees in the West Wing.
Privately, officials acknowledge the public timeline offered last week — that the administration first learned of the ex-wives’ charges against Porter last Tuesday — was flawed at best. Several senior officials, including Chief of Staff John Kelly and White House counsel Don McGahn, were aware of the broad allegations against Porter for months, officials said.
Sanders maintained Tuesday that her statement about an ongoing investigation was accurate because Porter’s clearance hadn’t received a final sign-off from the White House Office of Personnel Security. “We find those statements to be consistent with one another,” she said.
Rob Porter's ex-wife fires back at White House after abuse claims
FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that “the FBI followed established protocols” while investigating Porter for his security clearance.
FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that “the FBI followed established protocols” while investigating Porter for his security clearance. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
Experts noted that while applications under Trump have been tied up for a variety of reasons, Porter posed a different problem.
“In the current administration, things are being done a bit differently in many aspects. People who wouldn’t ordinarily be able to obtain a clearance are being granted access to classified information,” Evan Lesser, the founder and president of ClearanceJobs.com, told the Daily News.
The speed with which someone is approved all depends on their past.
“It’s much easier when someone has something in their background like major financial problems or foreign ties,” Lesser said of spotting people who will likely be denied — although most applicants are approved.
Rob Porter fiasco shows how Veep Pence can be late to the party
“But when you’re looking at domestic violence, in many cases, those things are not necessarily reported,” he said. “Sometimes you’ll find that in terms of a security clearance someone may look perfectly fine on paper but once investigators start talking to spouses or ex-spouses or friends and family that there are serious concerns there.”
Despite the warnings from the FBI, Porter (r.), 40, continued to work closely with the President and chief of staff John Kelly (l.).
Despite the warnings from the FBI, Porter (r.), 40, continued to work closely with the President and chief of staff John Kelly (l.). (JONATHAN ERNST/REUTERS)
Both Porter and speechwriter David Sorensen abruptly stepped down as evidence surfaced of their alleged abuse.
Both have denied any wrongdoing.
President Trump, who on Friday said that Porter had done a “very good job” and that this is “obviously a very tough time for him,” ignored questions about the men’s alleged victims.
Calls for Kelly’s resignation over the handling of the situation continued on Tuesday,
“Based on FBI testimony, WH Chief of Staff John Kelly almost certainly knew about credible allegations of domestic abuse against Rob Porter at least 6 months ago — then recently forced others to lie about that timeline. Inexcusable. Kelly must resign,” Trump’s short-lived communications director Anthony Scaramucci tweeted.
FBI director says bureau told White House about ex-aide Rob Porter's alleged domestic abuse nearly a year ago
(Ya don't say? Of COURSE they all knew, how the fuck does somebody have access to top secret info for over a year with "interim" status if something isn't wrong? The people who work underneath that scumbag Kelly are turning on him like rabid dogs, lol. Even Scaramucci says he gotta go, lol. These 2 aides, Bannon, Twittler himself, apparently ya can't hire "the best people" without some of them being wife beaters.)
FBI Director Christopher Wray contradicted the Trump administration’s version of events surrounding ex-staffer Rob Porter’s violent past on Tuesday — sending the White House scrambling to try to get its story straight.
The bureau first reached out to the White House in March of last year, Wray told lawmakers on Tuesday. By July, the agency completed its security clearance background check for the disgraced former staff secretary, who resigned last week amid allegations of domestic abuse by his two ex-wives, Wray said.
The review was “administratively closed” last month.
The sequence of events laid out by Wray runs counter to the White House’s claim that Porter’s FBI background check was still ongoing, and that the charges against him were a shock.
White House won't explain why Trump hasn't decried domestic abuse
On Monday, spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders suggested the FBI was to blame for Porter’s continued presence in the White House because it hadn’t finished its work.
“I‘m quite confident that in this particular instance, the FBI followed established protocols,” Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee.
White House officials had said they were first contacted by the FBI over the summer, but that they were unaware of the extent of the allegations. They have also repeatedly claimed that the FBI never completed its investigation.
Western Governors University
Paid Content by Western Governors University
Should You Get an MBA?
Wray told the Senate intelligence committee that a partial report about Porter was provided to the White House in March — likely a tip-off that there were red flags, experts said.
Rob Porter's ex-wife recalls struggle to leave abusive marriage
A completed background investigation was delivered in late July and a request for a follow up soon followed.
The bureau responded by November with even more information.
The file was closed last month and then, Wray said, the FBI received more information earlier this month that was passed on to the White House.
President Donald Trump's Chief of Staff John Kelly, left, White House chief economic adviser Gary Cohn, center, and White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter, right, arrive at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018, for a short trip to the White House after accompanying President Donald Trump at the 2018 House and Senate Republican Member Conference at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WVa. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Top officials who have been fired or quit under Trump administration
Porter had been working as one of Trump’s top aides under a temporary clearance that allowed him access to classified information.
Kelly likely to exit White House over Porter abuse scandal
Sanders maintained Tuesday that the administration only found out about the extent of the allegations against Porter last week — following the release of a disturbing photo of one of his former spouses sporting a bruised black eye.
Sanders said that while the “FBI portion was closed,” the White House personnel security office had yet to finish its review of Porter — and that she didn’t know if any information received was shared with political appointees in the West Wing.
Privately, officials acknowledge the public timeline offered last week — that the administration first learned of the ex-wives’ charges against Porter last Tuesday — was flawed at best. Several senior officials, including Chief of Staff John Kelly and White House counsel Don McGahn, were aware of the broad allegations against Porter for months, officials said.
Sanders maintained Tuesday that her statement about an ongoing investigation was accurate because Porter’s clearance hadn’t received a final sign-off from the White House Office of Personnel Security. “We find those statements to be consistent with one another,” she said.
Rob Porter's ex-wife fires back at White House after abuse claims
FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that “the FBI followed established protocols” while investigating Porter for his security clearance.
FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that “the FBI followed established protocols” while investigating Porter for his security clearance. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
Experts noted that while applications under Trump have been tied up for a variety of reasons, Porter posed a different problem.
“In the current administration, things are being done a bit differently in many aspects. People who wouldn’t ordinarily be able to obtain a clearance are being granted access to classified information,” Evan Lesser, the founder and president of ClearanceJobs.com, told the Daily News.
The speed with which someone is approved all depends on their past.
“It’s much easier when someone has something in their background like major financial problems or foreign ties,” Lesser said of spotting people who will likely be denied — although most applicants are approved.
Rob Porter fiasco shows how Veep Pence can be late to the party
“But when you’re looking at domestic violence, in many cases, those things are not necessarily reported,” he said. “Sometimes you’ll find that in terms of a security clearance someone may look perfectly fine on paper but once investigators start talking to spouses or ex-spouses or friends and family that there are serious concerns there.”
Despite the warnings from the FBI, Porter (r.), 40, continued to work closely with the President and chief of staff John Kelly (l.).
Despite the warnings from the FBI, Porter (r.), 40, continued to work closely with the President and chief of staff John Kelly (l.). (JONATHAN ERNST/REUTERS)
Both Porter and speechwriter David Sorensen abruptly stepped down as evidence surfaced of their alleged abuse.
Both have denied any wrongdoing.
President Trump, who on Friday said that Porter had done a “very good job” and that this is “obviously a very tough time for him,” ignored questions about the men’s alleged victims.
Calls for Kelly’s resignation over the handling of the situation continued on Tuesday,
“Based on FBI testimony, WH Chief of Staff John Kelly almost certainly knew about credible allegations of domestic abuse against Rob Porter at least 6 months ago — then recently forced others to lie about that timeline. Inexcusable. Kelly must resign,” Trump’s short-lived communications director Anthony Scaramucci tweeted.
