White House arranged off-the-record meeting with Porter and four reporters after abuse allegations

The White House reportedly arranged an off-the-record meeting between four reporters and former aide Rob Porter after he was accused of domestic abuse.

Politico reported that in the hours after a photo surfaced of one of Porter’s ex-wives with a black eye, a meeting was planned by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

The meeting included The New York Times’s Maggie Haberman, The Washington Post’s Josh Dawsey, Axios’s Jonathan Swan and The Wall Street Journal’s Michael Bender.

During the off-the-record meeting, Porter told his story, according to Politico. He also answered questions.

Porter resigned from his job in the White House last week after he was accused of domestic violence.

White House chief of staff John Kelly on Wednesday issued a statement saying he was shocked by the allegations of domestic abuse against Porter.

Both of Porter’s ex-wives have accused him of domestic abuse, with one revealing photographs of herself with a black eye that she said she got from her former husband. Porter has denied the allegations.

But multiple reports last week said Kelly first learned of the allegations against Porter last year and took no action. The Washington Post reported White House counsel Don McGahn had first informed Kelly of the abuse allegations against Porter last fall.

Kelly reportedly instructed senior staff last week to say he took “immediate and direct action” after he learned the abuse allegations were credible, according to the Post. He told staff to say that he took action within 40 minutes to remove Porter.

Aides told the Post they were concerned Kelly’s account was untrue.

The White House on Monday struggled to explain its handling of the abuse allegations.