Ethical scandal in Biden’s circle: TJ Ducklo has only been suspended for one week without pay
Photo: SAUL LOEB / AFP / Getty Images
White House faces outrage for not firing deputy press secretary after he threatened to ‘destroy’ a reporter https://t.co/YxHrY7jyOq
– Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) February 12, 491689
TJ Ducklo, one of the deputies to the Press Secretary of the White House Jen Psaki was suspended for a week without pay after a story by Vanity Fair revealed that he had threatened a reporter who was working on a story about his romantic relationship with another journalist.
“In our opinion, this it was an important step to send the message that we do not consider it acceptable, “said Psaki yesterday to journalists at the White House press conference.
He added that TJ Ducklo had apologized to reporter Tara Palmeri of Politico, by the incident; and that when he returns from suspension he will no longer work with any reporter from that medium.
Palmeri reported Tuesday that Ducklo had had a romantic relationship with Alexi McCammond, a reporter for the portal Axios.
Axios told Politico that McCammond “revealed her relationship” with Ducklo in November and was “pulled out of (Joe) Biden’s circle.” But Palmeri noted that McCammond continued to cover Vice President Kamala Harris and that he had commented enthusiastically about Biden after his inauguration.
An history about Vanity Fair on Friday indicated that Ducklo had threatened Palmeri over his article, promising that he would “destroy” it if he published it.
Ducklo, according to Vanity Fair, also made misogynistic comments to Palmeri and references to her personal life, accusing her at one point of being “jealous” over her relationship with McCammond.
A person familiar with the matter confirmed to CNN the details of the conversation that Ducklo you I’m with Palmeri. Neither commented yesterday.
Secretary Psaki said that, in addition to his initial apology, Ducklo had expressed “deep regret” in a note to Palmeri after the incident. , something he described only as a “heated conversation about his personal life.”
Ducklo’s grade, which was obtained by CNN , read: “Last night on the phone with you I lost my patience in an unprofessional way, and I apologize for that. I should have done a better job of keeping my emotions in check during our conversation. It will not happen again”.
When asked at the press conference how Ducklo could continue to work with female journalists, given the misogynistic nature of some of his comments, Psaki agreed that they were “Completely unacceptable” and said she had had “conversations with him about it.” And he claimed that the White House apologized to Politico and promised that “this never will happen again. ”
TJ Ducklo reportedly told Tara Palmeri “I will destroy you , “and made sexist remarks to stop her from reporting on his relationship with a political reporter. https://t.co/BBl0vWimHl
– HuffPost Women (@HuffPostWomen) February 13, 2021
TJ Ducklo has apologized to the reporter, with whom he had a heated conversation about his personal life. He is the first to acknowledge this is not the standard of behavior set out by the President.
– Jen Psaki (@PressSec) February 12, 2021
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