White House Chief of Staff John Kelly has said he is “shocked by the new allegations” against a Trump aide who resigned amid domestic abuse claims.
“There is no place for domestic violence in our society,” he said in a statement released on Wednesday night.
Rob Porter, 40, quit hours after denying his two ex-wives’ accusations of physical and emotional abuse.
The White House would not comment on a report that he failed to receive a security clearance due to the claims.
Mr Kelly is now facing questions about when he knew about the allegations against Mr Porter, which the FBI learned during interviews with Mr Porter’s ex-wives for a background check.
“I was shocked by the new allegations released today against Rob Porter. There is no place for domestic violence in our society,” he said in a statement.
“I stand by my previous comments of the Rob Porter that I have come to know since becoming Chief of Staff, and believe every individual deserves the right to defend their reputation.”
Mr Kelly had previously defended Mr Porter as “a man of true integrity and honor”.
US media have reported that Mr Kelly and other White House officials had been aware for several months that the claims were keeping the White House staff secretary from obtaining security clearance.
Mr Kelly has yet to comment on reports that he knew of the allegations against Mr Porter.
The accusations of abuse were first reported in the DailyMail.com and include accounts of physical and emotional abuse.
Mr Porter said “these outrageous allegations are simply false” when he announced his resignation on Wednesday afternoon.
Mr Porter’s ex-wives, Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby, both recounted stories of Mr Porter’s alleged misconduct.
His first spouse, Ms Holderness, said the White House aide had been verbally and physically abusive.
Ms Holderness, a US government analyst, said Mr Porter had kicked her on their 2003 honeymoon in the Canary Islands.
She also alleged he punched her in the face while they were on holiday a couple of years later in Florence, Italy.
Ms Holderness supplied a photo of herself with a black eye to the media.
Ms Willoughby, a motivational speaker, told the DailyMail.com she was married to Mr Porter from 2009-13.
She wrote about her experiences in a blog post entitled Why I Stayed.
She said she filed a protective order against him in June 2010 after he allegedly punched the glass of the door at their Alexandria, Virginia, home.
Ms Willoughby told the Washington Post on Wednesday: “He has never faced repercussions that forced him to confront his issues.
Mr Porter rejected the allegations in a statement read by the White House press secretary 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,” he said.
“I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a co-ordinated smear campaign.”
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders refused to comment on Mr Porter’s background check on Wednesday, adding that he had “been effective in his role as staff secretary”.
Mr Porter attended Harvard with the President Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University.
He formerly worked for Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, who said he was “heartbroken” by the allegations.
According to US media reports, Mr Porter has recently been romantically linked with White House communications director Hope Hicks.
She was reportedly involved in drafting the initial White House statement on Mr Porter on Tuesday.
