Company fires Trump's 'Warp Speed' vaccine czar over 'substantiated' sex harassment claim

Moncef Slaoui, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump to serve as chief advisor to the Operation Warp Speed vaccine program, has been fired from his job as board chairman of Galvani Bioelectronics over a "substantiated" sexual harassment allegation.

CNBC reports that Slaoui was dismissed by Galvani after the company investigated "allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct towards an employee" of Galvani majority shareholder GlaxoSmithKline.

After conducting its investigation, Galvani said that the allegation against Sloaoui were "substantiated" and it said that "Dr. Slaoui's behaviors are wholly unacceptable."

GSK CEO Emma Walmsley told employees on Wednesday that she was "shocked and angry" to learn of the allegations against Slaoui and emphasized that "sexual harassment is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated."

Slaoui drew scrutiny after he refused to sell $10 million in GSK stock after being appointed by Trump to lead Operation Warp Speed, despite the fact that GSK stood to benefit from his work on behalf of the federal government.