White House Speechwriter Resigns After Accusations of Domestic Violence and Abuse

FBI Knew Last Fall

A second White House official has resigned amid allegations of domestic violence and emotional abuse of a spouse. The Washington Post reports speechwriter David Sorensen, who worked for President Trump’s senior advisor Stephen Miller, resigned as the newspaper was working on a report of allegations by Sorensen’s ex-wife, Jessica Corbett.

Sorensen’s “former wife claimed that he was violent and emotionally abusive during their turbulent two-and-a-half-year marriage — allegations that he vehemently denied, saying she was the one who victimized him,” The Post reports. 

As with now-former White House staff secretary Rob Porter, who was credibly accused of domestic violence and abuse by his two former wives, the FBI knew of the allegations against Sorensen months ago.

“Corbett told The Post that she described his behavior to the FBI last fall as the bureau was conducting a background check of Sorensen.”

The White House claims it was unaware of the allegations, learning of them Thursday night.

“We immediately confronted the staffer, he denied the allegations and he resigned today,” White House deputy spokesperson Raj Shah told the Post in a statement Friday evening.

Via text, Sorensen “said he stepped down because he ‘didn’t want the White House to have to deal with this distraction.'”

“It should be able to focus on continuing President Trump’s historic accomplishments for the American People.”

Sorensen says he was the victim, not the abuser, and “said that while he had hoped never to have to discuss his ex-wife and their tumultuous marriage, ‘this incident is an opportunity to highlight the grossly underreported and unacknowledged issue of female-on-male domestic violence.'”

Two friends and associates of Corbett said she confided in them during the marriage that her husband was abusive. Corbett also provided records of text messages and emails in which Sorensen berated her with vulgar language and she discussed the deteriorating marriage with others. She gave The Post a photo of her hand bearing a scar she said was from the cigarette burn.

The Post notes that in one of several interviews it conducted with Corbett, she “called it ‘scary’ that someone like her ex-husband had access to the White House after what she told the FBI.”

“Everyone can think you’re the most wonderful guy, but you’re throwing women into walls by night,” she said.

Image by ERIC SALARD via Flickr and a CC license