Donald Trump's successor Joe Biden wanted to end the scandal in the White House.
But suddenly there are serious allegations - and now consequences.
Update from February 14, 7.49 a.m
.: The White House spokesman TJ Ducklo, who was temporarily suspended on Friday because of alleged threats against a journalist, has resigned.
Biden's chief spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Saturday (local time) that the president had accepted the resignation.
Ducklo is said to have threatened a journalist to "destroy" her (see first report).
The Psaki declaration stated: "We undertake to strive every day in our words and actions to meet the standard set by the President and to treat others with dignity and respect (...)." was accepted on Saturday evening after talking to Ducklo.
Ducklo had worked as a press officer for the Biden campaign team last year.
He himself called his behavior on Twitter "unbearable." He said he used "language no woman should ever hear from anyone, especially in a situation where she is just trying to do her job," he wrote.
He was "devastated to have embarrassed and disappointed my colleagues in the White House and President Biden".
In a phone call, Ducklo is said to have threatened journalist Tara Palmeri from the politics website "Politico" with the words "I will destroy you" to ruin her reputation.
The trigger was apparently Palmeri's research into his relationship with a journalist from the “Politico” competitor “Axios”.
Palmeri writes for the “Politico” newsletter, Playbook, which reports on Washington’s inner political life and is eagerly followed by politicians, their staff, journalists and other politically interested parties.
Biden suddenly in Trump-like chaos: the speaker is said to have threatened a journalist - drilling questions follow
First report from February 12th
: Washington - A new era should begin with Joe Biden's assumption of office in the USA.
But less than a month after Biden's assumption, a kind of upside-down - or well-known from Trump's days - world emerges in the headquarters of the USA.
The White House is faced with a scandal over a press secretary.
Trump sends his regards: Biden is in a scandal about press spokesman - threat to journalist?
Biden's administration suspended a vice spokesperson for a week after allegedly threatening a journalist in an argument.
The behavior was "completely unacceptable" and her colleague knew that, said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki on Friday.
The punishment followed an article in
Vanity Fair
magazine
.
It said that the vice-spokesman TJ Ducklo had
threatened
a reporter from the
Politico
website
to "destroy" her and destroy her reputation.
The journalist had asked questions about Ducklo's relationship with a reporter on the
Axios
website
.
The suspension raised questions in Washington.
After former President Donald Trump - who is currently in the middle of an impeachment - frequently insulted the media as "enemies of the people", the White House promised his successor Joe Biden that he would deal with the press professionally.
Joe Biden: spokeswoman faces probing questions - "We found this was a serious punishment"
Psaki was also reminded at her press conference of Biden's announcement that he would fire anyone who disrespected his colleagues on the spot.
"We found it was a serious penalty," she said of the free suspension.
She made the decision in consultation with Biden's chief of staff, Ron Klain, and she did not speak to the president about it, said Psaki.
Trump repeatedly had problems with the press - and his spokesmen.
There was bigger controversy about the communications director Anthony Scaramucci.
This recently publicly renounced Trump.
The last spokeswoman for US President Sarah Huckabee Sanders is now even aiming for higher political offices.
(
dpa / fn
)