John Kelly say 'we didn't cover ourselves in glory' on Rob Porter abuse allegations

David Jackson | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption WH Chief of Staff Kelly Jokingly calls his job is punishment from God White House Chief of Staff, John Kelly, referred to his departure from the Department of Homeland Security as a punishment from God. His exit comes on the heels of dealing with the ongoing fallout from a scandal involving one of his former aides.

WASHINGTON — White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said Friday he did not know of accusations that former aide Rob Porter hit one of his wives when he praised the former White House staff secretary.

Kelly said he only knew of claims of emotional abuse when he accepted Porter’s resignation, and sent out a statement praising Porter’s professionalism.

“We didn’t cover ourselves in glory in how we handled that,” Kelly told reporters.

Kelly said when he learned of the physical accusations, including a picture of Porter's first ex-wife with a black eye, he made sure Porter had left the White House.

The matter of Porter, the former White House staff secretary, has roiled the White House for weeks.

Revelations that Porter had access to classified information despite the accusations against him prompted a review of security procedures within the White House. White House senior adviser Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, saw his security clearance downgraded as a result.

Kushner, who has not been granted a permanent security clearance, has been working with a temporary clearance that had allowed him to see the most secret government information.

White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, who had dated Porter at one time, took criticism over the communications strategy over the Porter resignation. Hicks announced this week that she would soon be leaving the White House.

Kelly said Porter had denied the allegations. The chief of staff also said the claims shocked him and the rest of the staff.

“It was just a shock to us all,” Kelly said.

Kelly said he first heard "a serious accusation" about Porter early on Feb. 6, and that it involved "some level of emotional abuse," not a physical attack. He said he asked Porter about the claim and "he denied it. He said it’s absolutely untrue."

In a story that same day in The Daily Mail, which published allegations against Porter, Kelly called him "a man of true integrity and honor, and I can't say enough good things about him. He is a friend, a confidante and a trusted professional. I am proud to serve alongside him."

Later in the day, the photo of the ex-wive's black eye surfaced. Kelly said he asked Porter about that physical allegation that same night, and accepted Porter's resignation, some two hours after the photo hit the Internet.

The next day, Kelly issued a new statement through the White House press office saying that he was "shocked" by the new allegations that surfaced that day,

"There is no place for domestic violence in our society," Kelly said. "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. I accepted his resignation earlier today, and will ensure a swift and orderly transition."

Asked about that first statement on Friday, Kelly said, “At that point in time, I thought that statement was accurate" with regard to his own dealings with the staff secretary.

Kelly said he never considered resigning over the Porter incident because "I have absolutely nothing to even consider resigning over.”

Trump associates inside and outside the White House have criticized Kelly's handling of the Porter episode.

Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci said he thinks Kelly knew about Porter's problems earlier than he has said, and is trying to cover it up.

"He had the information," Scaramucci told CNN. "He tried to cover up the information. He tried to get other people inside the White House to cover up the information for him."