Ex-Obama aide calls for congressional oversight after White House staffer resigns

A former aide to President Barack Obama on Wednesday called on Congress to look into the White House’s decision to keep on staff an aide who had twice been accused of domestic abuse, despite being told of the allegations by the FBI.

Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior adviser to Obama, said that the White House’s decision to hire and retain staff secretary Rob Porter signals a “dangerous level of impotence” and a “disregard for human decency” in President Trump’s West Wing.

Pfeiffer said in a series of tweets on Wednesday that Porter’s position at the White House raised red flags because he never received a full security clearance. The abuse allegations were the main reason why, according to a report by CBS News reported. 

There should be extensive congressional oversight into how the White House employed a Staff Secretary who couldn’t get a security clearance due to credible allegations of domestic abuse.

— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) February 7, 2018

I am going to bet not one Republican is going to care especially because Porter came from Capitol Hill and they will protect one of their own.

— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) February 7, 2018

Porter resigned on Wednesday after allegations emerged that he physically and emotionally abused two ex-wives. Photos surfaced online recently of his first wife’s bruised and battered face.

{mosads}

Porter denied the allegations in a statement read Wednesday by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, shortly after reports of his resignation emerged.

“These outrageous allegations are simply false,” Porter’s statement says. “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.”

Another former Obama administration official, Matthew Miller, who served as Justice Department spokesman, also raised concerns on Wednesday over the fact that the White House retained Porter, despite being told about the abuse allegations by the FBI. 

Porter’s resignation, Miller said, is not enough to make up for the fact that he was allowed to serve in a job handling classified information without a full security clearance.

So the WH hired Porter, or kept him on staff, after the FBI was told he abused two women. Because of these reports, he was denied a full security clearance, but they let him continue serving in a senior job handling classified info. His resignation alone isn’t nearly enough here.

— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) February 7, 2018