Despite White House communications director Hope Hicks drawing criticism for her handling of Rob Porter’s domestic abuse allegations, the young Donald Trump ally has remained unscathed as far as her White House position goes.

Hicks, who is reportedly dating Porter after he left his ex-girlfriend for her, aided in the creation of White House chief of staff John Kelly’s glowing defense of Porter, according to the Washington Post. Additionally, Hicks reportedly was aware of Porter’s record of abuse accusations and still remained romantically involved with him, while also defending him from within the administration.

In the statement issued by Kelly and in-part written by Hicks, the two defend Porter as “a man of true integrity.”

“Rob Porter is a man of true integrity and honor and I can’t say enough good things about him,” Kelly said. “He is a friend, a confidante, and a trusted professional. I am proud to serve alongside him.”

However, Kelly later quasi-recanted the statement, and said the following instead:

“There is no place for domestic violence in our society. 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.”

As for Hicks, she was reportedly aware of the pictures Porter’s ex-wife Colbie Holderness gave to FBI officials alleging abuse. She also gave them to The Intercept and Daily Mail — the news outlets that eventually brought the claims to the public space. The communications director has not issued a similar statement to Kelly’s walking back the defense of Porter, regardless of widespread media outrage.

[images via screengrab]

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