White House speechwriter David Sorensen forced to resign after past domestic violence claims surface

Speechwriter David Sorensen is the second staffer to resign after revelations that his former wife Jessica Corbett accused him of violent and abusive behavior during their two-and-a-half-year marriage.

According to the Washington Post, Sorensen denied the allegations and said that he was the victim of violence in their marriage.

Corbett gave The Post photos of burns and bruises. He allegedly drove over her foot, threw her into a wall and grabbed her by her hair while they were alone on a boat off the shore of Maine. She also gave The Post a series of emails and text messages from Sorensen in which he berated her using vulgar language.

She also revealed that the FBI interviewed her last fall for the background check for Sorensen. However, the White House claims they only learned about the accusations Thursday night.

“We immediately confronted the staffer, he denied the allegations and he resigned today,” spokesman Raj Shah said in a statement.

The administration said that his position didn't require a security clearance but his background check was ongoing.

Corbett acknowledged that there were cases in which she slapped him after he called her vulgar terms and that some of their fights included alcohol. Two friends and associates confirm the claims from what Corbett told them at the time.

Axios editor Alexi McCammond also spoke with Corbett, saying, “it was an incredibly abusive relationship... I went very silently but it was very much known and I begged for help.”

In speaking with McCammond, Corbett provided Axios with a recording of an argument between she and Sorensen.

The news comes just two days after senior aide Rob Porter was forced to resign after two ex-wives came forward with accusations of violence in their marriage.