WASHINGTON — An ex-wife of former White House staff secretary Rob Porter says she has received a letter of apology from Sen. Orrin Hatch, the Utah Republican who defended his former aide from “a vile attack” after two ex-wives accused Porter of domestic abuse. Porter resigned Feb. 7 after the accusations from Colbie Holderness and Jennie Willoughby became public, though he denied them. The Washington Post’s Erik Wemple first reported that both Holderness and Willoughby had received letters of apology from Hatch. President Donald Trump defended Porter after his departure from the White House and wished him well while not mentioning the ex-wives and their accusations. The Porter episode also raised questions about how long White House officials knew about the allegations against him and what role they played in Porter failing to obtain a permanent security clearance.

Source: National Post February 19, 2018 02:03 UTC