Bullying allegations from rap: The investigation interviewed three business leaders | Dominic Raab

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The Guardian has learned that all three employees at Whitehall who worked with Dominic Raab while he was in ministerial positions were interviewed by the official inquiry into his alleged bullying.

Sources confirmed reports that former permanent secretary to the Foreign Office Simon MacDonald gave evidence after admitting last year that the deputy prime minister could be described as a bully.

The Guardian understands that Antonia Romeo, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, and Philip Rycroft, who ran the Brexit department while Raab was in charge there, were now also witnesses in the investigation led by Adam Tolley KC.

It is believed that their testimony focused on the warnings they gave Raab at the time about his alleged behaviour. It is understood that the three spoke to a government minister about his treatment of civil servants.

It is understood that Lord MacDonald spoke to Raab on several occasions during his tenure at the Foreign Office about his behavior towards staff in his private office and during meetings. He then informally reported his concerns to the Cabinet Office’s decency and ethics team.

Romeo, permanent secretary to the Ministry of Justice, is said to have spoken to Raab when he was reassigned to the department by Rishi Sunak, after being sacked by Liz Truss, to warn him that he should treat staff professionally and with respect amid dissatisfaction with his return.

The Guardian also reported that senior officials in the now-dissolved Brexit administration had handed a document to the Cabinet Office on alleged bullying, while Rycroft, the top official there, shared public concerns about Raab’s behavior with then Cabinet Secretary, Mark. Sidwell.

Government insiders believe Raab is now fighting for his political survival, with one calling him a “toast” after the Guardian revealed he was facing dozens of allegations of bullying from all three government departments.

Raab, who remains in office while the investigation continues, has pledged a “thorough refutation and refutation” of the official complaints. He said he was confident he had “behaved professionally” throughout his tenure in three different ministerial posts.

The complaints related to his dealings with civil servants, including some in senior positions, who were allegedly “belittled and insulted” and that he was “extremely rude and aggressive” every day.

Officials close to the investigation are said to have been shocked by some of the allegations that have surfaced, including individuals who became physically ill before meetings, cried regularly, and, in at least one case, left feeling suicidal as a result of the alleged behavior.

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Conservative MPs are particularly concerned that Rishi Sunak’s handling of the row, in the wake of Nadim Zahawi’s tax case, could undermine his pledge to instill “integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level” in his government as he tries to move the party forward. From the time of Boris Johnson.

Former Cabinet Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said on Tuesday that “we shouldn’t get too excited” about the allegations against the justice secretary. He added: “People should be able to say that this job has not been done well enough and needs to be done better.

“It’s a very difficult line to judge. It’s not a straightforward problem in most cases. How did someone react, and what did someone say, is it reasonable to ask senior, well-paid professionals a level of good service? And then you have to decide if That line would have been crossed. But I worry we’re becoming a snowflake about this.”

Even by Reese-Mogg standards, this is outrageous,” said Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union, which represents senior civil servants. [alleged] Bullying… Not only should he be ashamed of himself, but his leader and his party should distance himself from this.”

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