Rob Porter told staffers wife’s black eye was an accident

Former White House staff secretary Rob Porter reportedly told senior staffers that his ex-wife’s black eye was an ‘accident’ as he tried to downplay the allegations of domestic abuse leveled against him. 

Porter resigned from his position last Wednesday after both of his ex-wives – Jennie Willoughby and Colbie Holderness – came forward and claimed that they had been abused by him during their marriages.

Soon after DailyMail.com published photos of Holderness with a black eye that she claims was a result of Porter punching her in the face, the White House staffer apparently told his colleagues it was an ‘accident’.

Rob Porter resigned from his position last week after both of his ex-wives came forward and claimed that they had been abused by him during their marriage

Sources told ABC News that Porter said the couple had been arguing over a vase in their hotel room on a holiday in Italy in the early 2000s early on in their marriage when Holderness fell.

Porter reportedly said they started struggling after Holderness was ‘ready to throw glass onto the floor to smash’. 

He said he never punched her and she suffered the black eye when she fell during the struggle.  

Holderness, however, claims her husband at the time did punch her. 

‘We were arguing and he punched me in the face. He left visible marks when he punched me and I have pictures of that. I didn’t go the police because I was scared, I was in Italy alone and I didn’t know what to do,’ she said.

Willoughby, Porter’s second wife, alleged that Porter once dragged her wet and naked out of the shower and was verbally abusive, calling her a f***ing b***h’ on their honeymoon. 

Porter resigned from his position as staff secretary after DailyMail.com published photos of bruises (pictured above) that Holderness said her husband gave her during their marriage 

His first wife Colbie Holderness claims Porter choked and punched her during their marriage 

Several months into their marriage, Willoughby filed a police complaint that stated Porter had punched the glass on the door to their home, cutting his hand in the process. 

Willoughby says she called police before later filing a temporary protective order. 

But Porter reportedly told his staff that he had just been tapping on the glass with his index finger when it broke. 

He said he went into the house to treat the cut on his knuckle, but Willoughby ordered him to leave and she called the police.   

Porter has denied both of the women’s accusations but still resigned protesting his innocence.

The President addressed the allegations against Porter for the first time on Friday, saying that he was ‘sad’ to learn of the situation.

Jennie Willoughby, Porter’s second wife, alleged that Porter once dragged her wet and naked out of the shower and was verbally abusive, calling her a f***ing b***h’ on their honeymoon

Porter, described as one of the most important players in Trump’s circle, resigned from his role as White House staff secretary last week following claims of domestic abuse

‘He did a very good job when he was in the White House and we hope he has a wonderful career, and hopefully he will have a great career ahead of him,’ Trump said in the Oval Office.

‘Now, he also, as you probably know, he says he’s innocent. And I think you have to remember that. He said very strongly yesterday that he’s innocent.’

The controversy has embroiled the White House given senior White House aides – including chief of staff John Kelly – were supposedly made aware of the allegations against Porter in November after the FBI learned about them during a background check.

His two ex-wives said they spoke to the FBI during its standard background check on the White House official who was seeking a government security clearance for his high-level position.

The allegations delayed Porter’s ability to get permanent clearance. He was granted interim clearance when he joined the White House in January 2017.

The timeline of who knew what, and when, is still in question in relation to Porter’s abuse allegations.

White House communications boss Hope Hicks has yet to comment on the allegations being made about Porter and the two appear to still be dating at this time. Hicks and Porter were photographed spending the night together in Washington two weeks ago

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk