White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders clarified the timeline of investigation into former White House staff secretary Rob Porter to the press Tuesday after FBI Director Christopher Wray testified that the FBI’s background investigation on Porter, who resigned last week over domestic abuse allegations, was completed in July.
Sanders explained how Wray's statement did not contradict the White House’s earlier account that Porter's "background investigation was ongoing, his clearance was never denied, and he resigned."
Sanders said that while the FBI's background investigation had been completed in July, as Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee Tuesday afternoon, a White House Personnel Security Office investigation was still ongoing.
"The FBI portion was closed," Sanders said. "The White House personnel security office, who is the one that makes the recommendation for adjudication, had not finished their process and therefore not made a recommendation to the White House."
"The process was still ongoing when Rob Porter resigned," Sanders added.
Wray also told senators Tuesday that the FBI had “administratively closed the file in January and then earlier this month we received some additional information and we passed that on as well.”
Sanders said that "the White House Personnel Security Office, which is staffed by career officials, may have received information. But they had not completed their process and made a recommendation to the White House for adjudication."
Sanders said she was not aware of any communication about the FBI’s findings with anyone in the White House, adding that she had discussed the matter with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and White House counsel Don McGahn.
Porter resigned last Wednesday after the Dailymail featured allegations and photos from Porter's two ex-wives detailing domestic abuse.