White House aide Rob Porter resigns

White House staff secretary Rob Porter has resigned following allegations of abuse from his two ex-wives.

Porter's ex-wives, Colbie Holderness and Jennifer Willoughby, both went public in The Daily Mail with accounts of what they branded as physically and emotionally abusive behavior, reported the New York Times.

Porter has denied the allegations against him saying, in a statement that, "These outrageous allegations are simply false."

"I have been transparent and truthful about these vile claims, but I will not further engage publicly with a coordinated smear campaign," he added.

Colbie Holderness, Porter's first wife, alleged that he punched her in 2005.

In the photos provided to the website The Intercept, the reporter said that they were taken when the couple took a vacation in Italy together. Holderness has a blackened right eye and a swollen cheekbone.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Porter "has been effective in his role as staff secretary," and the president had confidence in his job performance.

Porter's departure will not be immediate and he was not pressured to leave, added the White House press secretary.