Scaramucci: ‘Kelly must resign’

Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci is calling for President Trump’s chief of staff John Kelly to resign amid a controversy involving a former aide.

Scaramucci, who was fired by Kelly just 10 days into his tenure at the White House last summer, pointed to reports that the White House knew of alleged abuse involving former staff secretary Rob Porter long before officials have since claimed to have known.

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In a testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray said  the bureau had submitted a partial report on Porter to the White House in March, and a full background report in November. 

“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,” Scaramucci tweeted Tuesday.

Scaramucci added in another tweet that his call for Kelly to resign had “nothing to do” with his exit from the White House, writing, “Domestic abuse is a red line. Covering up for it is indefensible.”

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. https://t.co/ydt7dmD7xs

— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) February 13, 2018

Domestic abuse is a red line. Covering up for it is indefensible. If speaking out against that makes me look petty, then so be it. This has nothing to do with my exit from WH. I trust the FBI Director in this matter, and so should you. We’ll know the full truth soon enough. https://t.co/kWXdZHQmOH

— Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) February 13, 2018

White House officials have not mentioned the March contact with the FBI and asserted last week that they did not have full knowledge of Porter’s past until stories of his ex-wives’ accounts of the abuse surfaced last week.

Scaramucci, who was ousted as the White House communications director over inflammatory comments he made about White House staff in a magazine interview last year, has criticized Kelly’s handling of the Porter scandal in recent days.

Scaramucci told CNN last week that “the cover-up is always worse than the crime,” referring to Kelly’s claim that he did not know the full extent of the allegations when he first defended Porter as a “man of true integrity and honor.” 

“I would say, ‘Jeez, you know, I knew about it,’ ” he added. 

Porter resigned last Wednesday following reports about the abuse claims. The Washington Post later reported that Kelly and White House counsel Don McGahn knew for months about some of the allegations, which delayed Porter’s security clearance. 

Updated: 2:23 p.m.