The current husband of Rob Porter's ex-wife said a friend of Porter's was "actively working to quell" issues regarding the former White House staff secretary's background check last year, according to CNN.

Skiffington Holderness, the current husband of Porter's ex-wife, sent an email to the FBI detailing multiple conversations he'd had with the friend, Bryan Cunningham, CNN reported on Thursday.

In the email, which was obtained by the news outlet, Holderness reportedly says Cunningham reacted positively to the news that Colbie Holderness, Porter's ex-wife, was not desiring to speak to the FBI.

Cunningham said that Colbie Holderness should "bury the past," Skiffington Holderness said in the email, according to CNN. Cunningham also reportedly assured Skiffington Holderness that his wife was "not obligated" to speak with the bureau.

Porter resigned on Wednesday following reports detailing allegations of physical abuse toward his two ex-wives. Colbie Holderness, Porter's first wife, said in an interview that Porter had choked and punched her, and constantly degraded her with insults.

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Colbie Holderness told CNN that she gave the FBI details of her abuse at the hands of Porter in a January 2017 interview.

Cunningham denied that he knew of the abuse, telling CNN he was "shocked and appalled" by the revelations.

The White House on Thursday admitted that the situation surrounding Porter's departure could have been handled better, after White House chief of staff John Kelly John Francis KellyMORE and other administration officials initially defended his character amid reports of the allegations.