publicly is that rob porter says he's innocent and that we wish him well. the president has had multiple opportunities to correct that statement, and he hasn't taken that opportunity. >> jim acosta. appreciate that from the white house. thanks. very few americans have ever heard of the white house personnel security office, but it does exist. for some guidance, we're turning to chris lieu, who in 2008 ran the presidential transition for barack obama, then worked as a white house cabinet secretary and is familiar with that office. chris, how does this white house personnel security office actually work? i mean, do they conduct investigations into staffers and issue recommendations to the white house on clearances? >> this is an important office. it provides an administrative function in helping to facilitate those investigations. but to be clear, they're not conducting the background investigations, nor are they the final decision makers. they're the conduit of information from the fbi to the west wing and back. and so what sarah sanders here has tried to lay out really doesn't make sense and is not