Biden Aide TJ Ducklo Suspended By White House Over Report He Threatened Politico’s Tara Palmeri
T.J. Ducklo, deputy press secretary to President Joe Biden, has been suspended for one week without pay, the White House told Mediaite Friday.
The suspension comes after Vanity Fair reported he threatened a Politico writer working on a story about his relationship with Axios correspondent Alexi McCammond.
Ducklo, according to the Vanity Fair report, lashed out at Politico reporter Tara Palmeri in an off the record call on Inauguration Day when she was looking into his relationship with the Axios reporter, who covered the Biden campaign.
On a call, Ducklo reportedly threatened to “destroy” Palmeri over the story. He also reportedly made explicit, misogynistic comments and accused her of being jealous of his relationship with McCammond.
The full White House statement read:
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.
News of the Ducklo-McCammond relationship was eventually leaked to People magazine, which scooped Politico with a generous profile of the couple.
Vanity Fair’s Caleb Ecarma reported on the call between Ducklo and Palmeri:
During the off-the-record call, Ducklo made derogatory and misogynistic comments, accusing Palmeri of only reporting on his relationship––which, due to the ethics questions that factor into the relationship between a journalist and White House official, falls under the purview of her reporting beat––because she was “jealous” that an unidentified man in the past had “wanted to fuck” McCammond “and not you.” Ducklo also accused Palmeri of being “jealous” of his relationship with McCammond. (Palmeri had no prior relationship or communication with McCammond before calling her to report on the Playbook item, which was a story that she was assigned and had not independently pursued.)
The report said that top White House officials met with Politico editors who complained about the call. Ducklo doesn’t appear to have been disciplined then, but he reportedly apologized to Palmeri.
President Biden has previously said he has a zero tolerance policy for such abuses.
“If I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect, talk down to someone, I promise I will fire you on the spot,” he told staffers.
