Scaramucci’s gravest human resources sin featured telling a female White House official that he heard she was sleeping with a more senior male official, many sources said.

The allegation was widely viewed by sources as “gross” and a clear attempt to intimidate and humiliate the woman.

A person who spoke with Scaramucci said he defended himself as merely wanting to make the woman aware of what others were saying. Other sources, however, believe Scaramucci invented the allegation.

A person familiar with the episode called that explanation offered by Scaramucci “the purest form of bullshit” and said he was really “trying inflict as much pain and damage as possible.”