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Second White House official departs amid abuse allegations, which he denies

A White House speechwriter resigned Friday after his former wife claimed that he was violent and emotionally abusive during their turbulent two-and-a-half-year marriage — allegations that he vehemently denied, saying she was the one who victimized him.

The abrupt departure of David Sorensen, a speechwriter who worked closely with senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, came as The Washington Post was preparing a story about abuse claims by his ex-wife, Jessica Corbett. Corbett told The Post that she reported his behavior to the FBI last fall as the bureau was conducting a background check of Sorensen.

"We immediately confronted the staffer, he denied the allegations and he resigned today," spokesperson Raj Shah said in a statement Friday evening.