UPDATE: Biden's press sec Jen Psaki has released a short statement saying that TJ Ducklo is suspended without pay for one week and that he won't be assigned to work with Politico anymore.
"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.
"In addition to his initial apology, he has sent the reporter a personal note expressing his profound regret.
"With the approval of the White House Chief of Staff, he has been placed on a one-week suspension without pay. In addition, when he returns, he will no longer be assigned to work with any reporters at Politico."
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
With the approval of the White House Chief of Staff, he has been placed on a one-week suspension without pay. In addition, when he returns, he will no longer be assigned to work with any reporters at Politico.
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) February 12, 2021
TJ Ducklo, the Deputy White House Press Secretary, allegedly threatened a reporter over a story she was about to publish indicating possible collusion with another reporter.
"I will destroy you", Ducklo allegedly told Tara Palmeri, who was reporting on a story that included the fact that Ducklo is dating Alexi McCammond, a political reporter working for Axios.
According to Vanity Fair, the confrontation started on Jan. 20, during the inauguration of President Biden.
Palmeri contacted McCammond for comment in the issue while one of her colleagues did the same with Ducklo, who then called a Politico editor with the intention to to quash the story. The editor referred him back to the individual reporters.
At that point, Ducklo called Palmeri instead of her colleague, and allegedly during this phone conversation he attempted to intimidate and threaten her by claiming he would ruin her reputation.
It should be noted that the reported romantic relationship between Ducklo and McCammond is considered to be in the public interest by law, as it could lead to a potential conflict of interest in McCammond's reporting.
The back-and-forth calls and emails continued over the next couple of days, even involving Ducklo's immediate superior, Jen Psaki, but at no point did Ducklo apologize to Palmeri, although he admitted that his actions were inappropriate.
Critics are very concerned, and are hoping that President Biden himself will possibly intervene, in the light of a previous statement of his:
"I am not joking when I say this: If you are ever working with me and I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect, talk down to someone, I promise you I will fire you on the spot. No ifs, ands, or buts."
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