Just 26 days into the new administration and President Joe Biden’s White House is already dealing with its first major political scandal.
It’s a bizarre tale straight out of a Hollywood thriller — and the closing credits ended with a senior aide losing their job.
The scandal gained traction when White House Press Aide TJ Ducklo was discovered to be in a romatic relationship with Axios reporter Alexi McCammond.
Controversy immediately erupted over the ethics of the relationship.
Ducklo dealt with the press coverage of the new Biden administration. McCammond covered the Biden campaign as an alleged unbiased journalist.
And the scandal quickly deepened.
Ducklo repotedly threatened another journalist, Politico reporter Tara Palmeri, over the story.
According to Vanity Fair, in an off-the-record call, Ducklo reportedly made threatening and derogatory comments toward Palmeri if she went public with the story.
“I will destroy you,” he allegedly told Palmeri.
The reported intimidation effort only landed Biden’s aide in hot water.
The White House had initially announced they had suspended Ducklo a week without pay. But critics pointed out that Biden had promised he’d fire anyone showing signs of disrespect on the spot.
“I am not joking when I say this,” Biden told staff shortly after inauguration. “If you are ever working with me and I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect or talk down to someone, I promise you I will fire you on the spot. No ifs, ands, or buts.”
Facing pressure as the reported cause of the Biden administration’s first scandal, Ducklo resigned over the weekend.
“No words can express my regret, my embarrassment, and my disgust for my behavior, he said. “I used language that no woman should ever have to hear from anyone, especially in a situation where she was just trying to do her job. It was language that was abhorrent, disrespectful, and unacceptable.”
My statement on resigning from the White House. pic.twitter.com/3Jpiiv75vB
— TJ Ducklo (@TDucklo) February 14, 2021
“I am devastated to have embarrassed and disappointed my White House colleagues and President Biden, and after discussion with White House communications leadership tonight, I resigned my position and will not be returning from administrative leave.”
The first one in the Biden administration bites the dust…
But certainly not the last.
The Horn editorial team