Biden aide suspended for 'threatening reporter'
A White House spokesman has been suspended for weekly without fork out after allegedly threatening to "destroy" a female reporter who was simply asking questions about his private life.
TJ Ducklo reportedly threatened Politico reporter Tara Palmeri, who was simply investigating his marriage with another journalist.
White House press secretary Jen Pskai said on Fri that Mr Ducklo had apologised to Ms Palmeri.
He hasn't commented independently.
Some observers have criticised President Joe Biden for failing woefully to take stronger actions. He has previously explained he'd fire "at that moment" any staff speaking disrespectfully to colleagues.
The suspension of Mr Ducklo, the White House deputy press secretary, came after Vanity Good magazine reported on his alleged threats to Ms Palmeri.
The Politico reporter have been investigating Mr Ducklo's relationship with Alexi McCammond, a journalist with Axios who had covered Mr Biden's election campaign.
He allegedly rang her and said: "I will destroy you". He also made additional derogatory and misogynistic feedback, Vanity Fair reports.
President Biden's spokeswoman tweeted on Fri that TJ Ducklo was first "the first ever to acknowledge this is simply not the typical of behavior lay out by the President".
She said that in addition to being suspended without purchase a week, Mr Ducklo would no longer work with Politico reporters when he returned to the White House.
President Biden told his personnel on his first day in office that he'd not tolerate bullying behaviour.
"I'm not joking when I say this: Should anyone ever use me and I hear you take care of another colleague with disrespect, talk right down to someone, I will fire you at that moment. No ifs, ands or buts," he said.
Some commentators, such as for example CNN anchor Jake Tapper, are actually asking whether the same punishment should not apply to the way his staff handle journalists doing their task.
