Says Guilfoyle Dating Rumors Had Nothing to Do with Exit

EXCLUSIVE

Anthony Scaramucci's is calling BS on White House sources who say he was fired over rumors he was dating Kimberly Guilfoyle.

Here's what the sources told us -- one of them, in Scaramucci's world, pointed out he and Guilfoyle had been seen together in public a number of times over the last year. Some of the events were public and others were private dinners in and around the NYC area.

The most recent, of course, was the private dinner with the President at the White House on July 26 ... the dinner which was leaked to the media, triggering Scaramucci's now infamous tirade.

Now to Monday morning ... at 9:27 AM PT we reached out to the White House Press Office to get Scaramucci's side of the story. At the same time, we reached out to a well-placed source in the West Wing ... again seeking a comment from Scaramucci. We're told our inquiry circulated among various people in the West Wing.

At 9:55 AM PT a source close to Scaramucci told us he and Kimberly were just friends. Likewise, a FOX News spokesperson told us they'd been friends for years, and met through her work at FOX. Sources told us, and now Scaramucci confirms, he went ballistic over the White House dinner leak because Kimberly was at the dinner and he knew about the dating rumors that were circulating.

At 11:35 AM PT ... Scaramucci resigned from his post as White House Communications Director.

Our sources say, going into Monday morning, Scaramucci was not out, but "on thin ice." We're told the President told Scaramucci in no uncertain terms to keep his head low and act professionally.

As you know, Monday was General Kelly's first day as White House Chief of Staff, and our sources say the last thing he and the President wanted was another news cycle on Scaramucci on Kelly's first day.