Congress Investigating the Rob Porter Mess

House panel looking into how he kept his White House job
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 14, 2018 11:36 AM CST
Congress Investigating the Rob Porter Mess
Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-SC, says the House Oversight Committee will investigate the Rob Porter controversy.   (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Having trouble keeping track of the Rob Porter story in regard to who knew what, when? Congress is, too. The House Oversight Committee has begun an investigation into how the ousted White House staff secretary kept his high-echelon post despite police and other records spelling out abuse allegations from his ex-wives. "How do you have any job if you have credible allegations of domestic abuse?" the panel's chairman, Republican Trey Gowdy, asks CNN. "Again, I am biased toward the victim." Gowdy says he'll ask FBI chief Christopher Wray to provide a detailed account of the agency's investigation into Porter, as well as who at the White House was privy to it. He's especially interested in the knowledge of White House chief of staff John Kelly and White House counsel Don McGahn.

"I would want to know from Don McGahn and General Kelly and anyone else: What did you know, from whom did you hear it, to what extent did you hear it, and then what actions, if any, did you take?" said Gowdy. "The chronology is not favorable from the White House." In a related development, three Democratic representatives were introducing legislation Wednesday that would allow Congress to more closely monitor the security clearance protocol at the White House, reports Politico. Among other things, the measure would require the White House to provide a list of people with clearances to Congress every three months. (One of Porter's ex-wives weighed in on President Trump's comments about the controversy.)

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