The former director of Project 2025 did not step down in July, as was initially reported, but was fired due to "dismissive and unprofessional" workplace behavior, the conservative think tank revealed Friday. The man at the center of the controversy says he's being made a "scapegoat."

Project 2025 is only the latest iteration of a longstanding Heritage Foundation initiative to establish a conservative governing blueprint. But incessant attacks by Democrats focusing on Project 2025 have led to intense scrutiny and frequent misrepresentations of the plan's details.

Still, Paul Dans' departure from the institution had little to do with that firestorm, according to Heritage.

"Paul Dans was terminated from the Heritage Foundation due to a number of related issues, including his dismissive and unprofessional approach to interacting with a number of his colleagues," Kelly Adams, director of people operations at Heritage, told Fox News Digital. 

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"After some specific disconcerting interactions were brought to the attention of senior management, an internal review was conducted, and a decision was made to separate Mr. Dans’ employment as amicably as possible."

At the time, Dans was said to be stepping down as the Project 2025 head.

But Heritage soon reportedly received multiple communications from Dans that accused the think tank of terminating him on false grounds.

"I was made a scapegoat by The Heritage Foundation to cover up for their own mishandling of the public relations fiasco over Project 2025," Dans told Real Clear Politics. "It appears that the Heritage Foundation continues to trash my good name and professional reputation for their benefit."

The Heritage Foundation defended its decision and said it was Dans' workplace behavior that led to his firing.

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"The Heritage Foundation deeply values all of our staff and is committed in both practice and principle to maintaining a positive work environment where abusive or demeaning behavior is not welcome," Adams said.

"We are deeply disappointed that Mr. Dans is using the liberal media to attack Heritage’s decision to terminate him, thereby making the rationale behind his dismissal public. We will not allow him to falsely attack Heritage and its people, without defending the difficult decision to terminate Paul’s employment based on facts. We will continue to defend our staff and our institution from false narratives and disgruntled former employees."

New reports have surfaced detailing Dans' behavior leading up to the termination, specifically allegations about his conduct at the Republican National Convention in July, when he reportedly cursed at colleagues while critiquing their performance and was issued a warning by Heritage President Kevin Roberts. 

"He was being so demeaning," a source told Real Clear Politics. "It was constant, and he refused to listen." 

After he was fired, Dans, through his legal counsel, reportedly sought $3.1 million from Heritage and wanted the funds delivered in two days, according to documents reviewed by RCP. Heritage rejected the request.

Soon after he was fired, Dans became a vocal critic of the Trump campaign, telling The New York Times in September the former president should replace two of his senior advisers, Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita. Dans claimed their mismanagement had prevented Trump from surging ahead of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump has repeatedly denied any involvement in Project 2025's formation, saying, "I disagree with some of the things they’re saying, and some of the things they’re saying are absolutely ridiculous and abysmal."

China attempted to send $1 billion worth of drones disguised as COVID-19 aid to a Libyan warlord through the assistance of corrupt U.N. officials, according to a Canadian government investigator. 

New court documents accuse Chinese state officials of conspiring to hide the $1 billion deal to offer 42 drones to Libyan General Khalifa Haftar through U.N. officials, who would mark the arms shipments as COVID-19 aid. 

Through FBI intercepts, Canada’s Royal Mounted Police found alleged plots to sell Libyan oil to China and to buy drones from 2018 to 2021. 

"The Chinese government seems to have approved a strategy to aid Libya in the procurement and delivery of military equipment through designated and approved companies to obscure the direct involvement of government agencies," the investigator stated.

Two Libyan nationals working in Canada at the International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency, were charged with conspiracy for the scheme in April. A preliminary hearing is expected in the spring.  

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The accusations, first reported by Defense News, are part of documents submitted in court in Montreal to obtain warrants to access the phones of the men involved. 

"This scheme appears to be a deliberate attempt to circumvent U.N. sanctions that were in effect at the time," the report said. 

Haftar, who received the drones, is a Russia-backed strongman who controls eastern Libya. He unsuccessfully tried to seize control of western Libya in 2020. The aim of the drones' shipment was "‘using war to end war quickly’ without attracting the attention of the international community," said the investigator, adding "the fight against the Coronavirus" was used as cover. 

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One of the Libyan nationals involved in the scheme - Fathi Ben Ahmed Mhaouek - was arrested while the other, Mahmud Mohamed Elsuwaye Sayeh, is still at large. 

The court documents also accuse a U.S. citizen, who has not been charged, of involvement.

"My client will plead not guilty - he denies all wrongdoing," said Mhaouek’s lawyer in Canada, Andrew Barbacki.

Investigators uncovered a May 2020 message from Sayeh to an official at the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs requesting a meeting in Egypt between the Chinese ambassador and a Libyan military official close to Haftar, Major General Aoun Al-Ferjani.

In the messages, the drones are "clearly described with weaponry, attack and lethal strike capabilities."

Investigators are unsure if the deal went through or if talks failed. 

Italian authorities in July said they seized Chinese military drones that were headed for Benghazi, Libya, in violation of a U.N. embargo.