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Anthony Scaramucci
| Anthony Scaramucci | |||
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| Basic facts | |||
| Organization: | SkyBridge Capital | ||
| Role: | Founder | ||
| Location: | Washington, D.C. | ||
| Affiliation: | Republican | ||
| Education: | •Tufts University •Harvard School of Law | ||
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Anthony Scaramucci was the founder of SkyBridge Capital, a global investment firm. He was the communications director for Donald Trump's (R) White House administration, but he was removed from the position on July 31, 2017.[1][2] Scarmucci also created the SALT hedge fund conference and was co-host of Wall Street Week on Fox Business.[3] Scaramucci was a member of Donald Trump's presidential transition team, a group of advisors tasked with recommending presidential appointments for the administration.[4]
Education and private sector career
Education
Scaramucci earned his undergraduate degree from Tufts University and his law degree from the Harvard School of Law.[5]
Financial services
Scaramucci worked for Goldman Sachs from 1989 to 1996, in the investment banking division and equities divisions, as well as the wealth management unit.[6]
He left Goldman Sachs in 1996 to form Oscar Capital Management, a hedge fund firm, alongside Andrew Boszhardt. The firm was sold to Neuberger Berman, which was in turn acquired by Lehman Brothers in 2003.[6] Scaramucci founded Skybridge Capital in 2005. Skybridge hosted the SALT conference. President Bill Clinton and Governor Mitt Romney have both spoken at the conference.[6]
Media
Scaramucci has been a contributor to CNBC and co-hosted Wall Street Week on Fox Business.[6][3]
He authored the following books: Hopping over the Rabbit Hole: How Entrepreneurs Turn Failure into Success, Goodbye Gordon Gekko: How to Find Your Fortune Without Losing Your Soul, and The Little Book of Hedge Funds.[7]
Presidential election, 2012
Scaramucci was a national finance co-chairman for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.[8]
Presidential election, 2016
Scaramucci began the 2016 presidential campaign as a national finance chair for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's (R) campaign. After Walker dropped out of the race, Scaramucci joined the national finance committee for Jeb Bush's (R) presidential campaign. He then joined President Donald Trump's national finance committee, at which time The Washington Post called him "one of the first traditional Republican bundlers to join the Trump campaign and commit to raising money."[8]
Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016
In May 2016, Scaramucci wrote an article entitled, "The Entrepreneur's Case for Trump," in support of Donald Trump in The Wall Street Journal. In the article, Scaramucci made the case for Trump as an adaptable entrepreneur, writing, "What elitists misinterpret as uneven principles, entrepreneurs understand as adaptability. Whether you like or dislike Mr. Trump personally, you have to respect the business empire and brand he has built. ... Mr. Trump would be the greatest pragmatist and deal maker Washington has ever seen."[9]
Possible Trump appointment
| Possible Trump appointee (first term) |
|---|
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| During the 2016 presidential transition of power, Scaramucci was reported to be in consideration for a high-level appointment in Donald Trump's (R) first term. |
Full list of possible appointees |
See also: Donald Trump's Cabinet, 2025 |
During the period of transition between the Obama and Trump administrations, Scaramucci was reported to be in consideration for a high-level appointment in the Trump administration. He had been considered for the role of Secretary of Commerce.[10]
Trump transition team
Scaramucci was a member of Donald Trump's presidential transition team. The transition team was a group of around 100 aides, policy experts, government affairs officials, and former government officials who were tasked with vetting, interviewing, and recommending individuals for top cabinet and staff roles in Trump's administration. He was on the team's executive committee. Speaking with NPR, Scaramucci indicated that Trump would not rule out Wall Street bankers and financiers for positions in the Department of the Treasury, saying, "So in my personal conversations with the president-elect, I think it's absolutely critical for him that he gets world-class people - A-plus-plus, to use his own expression - on the cabinet and members of his team. So if that means he's going to draw from Wall Street to do that or other parts of the U.S. economy or other people from academia, that's what he's going to do."[11]
Donald Trump presidential administration
- See also: Donald Trump White House staff
On July 21, 2017, Trump offered Scaramucci the job of White House communications director.[1]
Warning to staff concerning leaks, July 25, 2017
According to Politico, Scaramucci warned staff against leaking information to the press on his first full day as communications director. Scaramucci said that he was willing to fire almost the entire communications department if leaks continued. He said, "I’m committed to taking the comms shop down to Sarah [Huckabee Sanders] and me, if I can’t get the leaks to stop. ... I offered amnesty in the meeting, but that decision is above my rank."[12]
Comments on relationship with Reince Priebus, July 27, 2017
On July 27, 2017, Scaramucci described his relationship with Trump chief of staff Reince Priebus, whom Scaramucci had described as akin to a brother when he was hired. Speaking with CNN, Scaramucci later said, "If you want to talk about the chief of staff, we have had odds. We have had differences. When I said we were brothers from the podium, that's because we're rough on each other. Some brothers are like Cain and Abel. Other brothers can fight with each other and get along. ... I don't know if this is reparable or not, that will be up to the president."[13]
Scaramucci then spoke of Priebus and leaks coming from the White House, which Scaramucci had vowed to stop. He said, "If Reince wants to explain that he's not a leaker, let him do that."[14]
Interview with The New Yorker, July 27, 2017
In an on-the-record interview with Ryan Lizza of The New Yorker, Scaramucci criticized members of Trump's staff, including Priebus and chief strategist Steve Bannon.[15] In the interview, he claimed Priebus had leaked sensitive White House materials to the press in an effort to protect his job, saying, "Reince is a fucking paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac." He also suggested that Bannon was building a personal brand rather than serving the country, telling Lizza, "I’m not Steve Bannon, I’m not trying to suck my own cock. I’m not trying to build my own brand off the fucking strength of the President. I’m here to serve the country." Near the end of the interview, he expressed his frustration with leaks from the White House, saying, "What I want to do is I want to fucking kill all the leakers and I want to get the President’s agenda on track so we can succeed for the American people."[16]
Allegations that the call was recorded without permission
On August 9, 2017, Scaramucci tweeted that Lizza had recorded the call without permission. Scaramucci wrote, "@RyanLizza is the Linda Tripp of 2017. People know. And he is up at night not being able to live with himself."[17] He clarified the reference to Tripp—who had recorded conversations with Monica Lewinsky about Lewinsky's relationship with President Bill Clinton—in another tweet, writing, "He absolutely taped the call without my permission. #lowlife."[18]
Removal from position, July 31, 2017
On July 31, 2017, Trump removed Scaramucci from the position. According to Politico, "The change came at the request of new chief of staff John Kelly."[2]
Post-White House career
Involvement in 2018 U.S. House primaries
Scaramucci backed Michael Grimm in his unsuccessful bid to reclaim New York's 11th Congressional District and oust the man who replaced him -- Rep. Dan Donovan (R).
Donovan won a special election for the Staten Island-based seat in 2015 after Grimm pleaded guilty to felony tax evasion and went to prison.
Scaramucci spoke at a fundraiser for Grimm. His endorsement joined that of another former Trump administration official, Steve Bannon. Trump, however, endorsed Donovan May 30.
Scaramucci also backed state Rep. Christina Hagan in the Republican primary for Ohio’s 16th Congressional District. She lost the election to Anthony Gonzalez, who was supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
The Scaramucci Post
In October 2017, Scaramucci announced he would launch a digital media company called the Scaramucci Post. He described the idea to Newsweek, saying, "There are components of this that are think tank in their orientation. ... There are components of this that are direct plain-vanilla news that is frankly unfiltered, you know, kind of cold-brew news, if you will, and then there will be parts of this that will be policy related."[19] He further stated that the content would target a moderate audience, stating, "I think that there’s a wide-open space in the middle that is not being served. It’s the Walter Cronkite space. It’s the space in the middle where there's a level of objectivity."[20]
See also
- Donald Trump White House staff
- Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016
- Donald Trump presidential transition team
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The New York Times, "Sean Spicer Resigns as White House Press Secretary," July 21, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Politico, "Trump ousts Scaramucci as communications director," July 31, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Fortune, "How Anthony Scaramucci Faked It 'Til He Made It (Big)," accessed November 19, 2016
- ↑ Fox News, "Who's who in the new Trump transition team line-up," November 11, 2016
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Anthony Scaramucci," accessed November 19, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 FINalternatives, "Sky's the Limit For Skybridge After Citi Deal," accessed November 19, 2016
- ↑ Amazon, "Anthony Scaramucci," accessed November 19, 2016
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Washington Post, "Anthony Scaramucci, a top Republican fundraiser, signs on with Trump campaign," accessed November 19, 2016
- ↑ Wall Street Journal, "The Entrepreneur's Case for Trump," accessed November 19, 2016
- ↑ ABC News, "What a Trump Cabinet Might Look Like," accessed November 22, 2016
- ↑ NPR, "Trump Needs A++ People On His Cabinet, Fund Manager Scaramucci Says," November 18, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "Scaramucci plans to oust White House press aide, offers ‘amnesty’ to others," July 25, 2017
- ↑ Politico, "Scaramucci name drops ‘Cain and Abel’ when talking about Priebus," July 27, 2017
- ↑ Politico, "Scaramucci: We have a good idea who the 'senior leakers' are," July 27, 2017
- ↑ The New York Times, "John Kelly, Asserting Authority, Fires Anthony Scaramucci," July 31, 2017
- ↑ The New Yorker, "Anthony Scaramucci Called Me to Unload About White House Leakers, Reince Priebus, and Steve Bannon," July 27, 2017
- ↑ Twitter, "Anthony Scaramucci on August 9, 2017
- ↑ Twitter, "Anthony Scaramucci on August 9, 2017
- ↑ Newsweek, "Anthony Scaramucci On His New Media Project: ‘I Think Who Reads It Is People That Find It,’" October 3, 2017
- ↑ Buzzfeed, "A Very Strange Night Launching Anthony Scaramucci’s New Media Project," October 3, 2017
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