CNN's April Ryan reveals National Security Council also was aware of Porter abuse for months

White House correspondent April Ryan reported on CNN Tuesday that her sources were claiming that the National Security Council also knew of domestic violence allegations made against former staffer Rob Porter.

"April, I'm going to ask you straight up to you, did the White House lie?" said CNN chief national security correspondent Jim Sciutto asked Tuesday, while guest hosing Out Front for Erin Burnett.

"You know, the question is, what does Sarah know," Ryan suggested, referring to White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

"Apparently it's not just about the fact that the FBI had the information, I'm hearing that personnel security office works with the National Security Council along with White House personnel," Ryan reported.

"So three groups that have information about those who are working in the White House, or potential people who the president or senior staff may want to bring in," Ryan continued.

"And typically, again, from sources, from various sources, when they give an interim security clearance, that's just for a limited amount of time and it's supposed to be narrow in scope," she said. "The person is not supposed to be able to touch top secret or classified materials."

"And if Rob Porter was a priority, he could have had his security clearance by now, if indeed he passed the muster," Ryan continued. "So there is a lot of holes here. And the question with finding out this information, the question is now, if you are limited in scope with what are you supposed to do with interim security clearance, Jared Kushner has interim security clearance, but he is talking to Bibi Netanyahu."

As Ryan reported on who knew of the domestic violence allegations, Politico reporter Eliana Johnson fleshed out the timeline of when they knew it.

"And it's my understanding, based on my reporting, that White House counsel Don McGahn knew as far back as last January -- more than a year ago -- about some of these allegations," Johnson said.

"And that Chief of Staff John Kelly, who joined the White House in July, was aware of them in November," Johnson continued. "And yet they did nothing."

"One White House aide said to me today, 'I have the really uncomfortable feeling, that essentially the White House moved on this because they got caught,'" Johnson noted.

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