Ryan Lizza, whose reporting earlier this year led to the exit of White House spokesman Anthony Scaramucci, has been terminated from the New Yorker after an accusation of sexual misconduct.
“The New Yorker recently learned that Ryan Lizza engaged in what we believe was improper sexual conduct,” the company said in a statement. “We have reviewed the matter and, as a result, have severed ties with Lizza. Due to a request for privacy, we are not commenting further.”
It’s unclear what is next for Lizza, who is also a regular on CNN where he works as a paid contributor. A CNN spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.
In July, barely a week into his new role as White House communication director, Scaramucci called Lizza to deliver a profanity-filled tirade about many of his new colleagues. He told Lizza that White House chief of staff Reince Priebus was “a f—ing paranoid schizophrenic” and that Trump adviser Steve Bannon wanted to fellate himself.
He later said he believed his comments were off-the-record.
Lizza, 43, wrote the New Yorker’s influential “Letters From Washington” column, and was known for lengthy profiles of subjects ranging from John McCain to Hillary Clinton to Paul Ryan to President Obama.
He has written for the New Yorker since the 2008 presidential campaign, and has also written for publications including The New York Times, The Atlantic, GQ and New York magazine.