One of former White House staff secretary Rob Porter's ex-wives provided photos of a black eye that she says Porter gave her to the FBI a week after President Trump Donald John TrumpUS reimposes UN sanctions on Iran amid increasing tensions Jeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Trump supporters chant 'Fill that seat' at North Carolina rally MORE's inauguration, according to a CNN report.

The ex-wife, Colbie Holderness, gave the photos to the FBI as part of a security clearance background check on Porter.

It is not clear if the photos were given to the White House, CNN reported, but it is likely that the FBI would have at least provided a synopsis of the images.

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Porter resigned from his White House post last week after allegations emerged publicly that the aide had physically and emotionally abused Holderness, as well as his other ex-wife. Porter has denied those allegations.

The episode has raised questions about what senior White House officials knew about the allegations and when. It has also prompted questions about why Porter was allowed to continue working in a position that required him to handle classified material, even though he never obtained a full security clearance.

Media reports have indicated that senior White House officials, including White House counsel Don McGahn, knew about the allegations for months before they surfaced publicly.

The White House has said that senior officials were unaware of the full extent of the allegations until last week, when photos of Holderness's black eye began circulating.

Under past presidential administrations, according to CNN, security clearance lawyers in the White House counsel's office would have been given access to an official's background check file if the FBI returned it to the White House personnel security office.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said this week that the White House followed the same clearance procedures as past administrations.