Bill Shine, Central Figure in Fox News Sexual Harassment Scandal, Expected to Become White House Communications Director

Former Fox News executive Bill Shine is expected to be hired by Trump as the new director of White House press and communications, reports CNN. This new position comes after Shine’s Fox tenure ended last year when he resigned amid criticisms of how he handled sexual harassment and discrimination allegations at the network.

A source told CNN that Trump and Shine are expected to make a final decision on Wednesday, and Shine will most likely accept the position if offered. Another source said Fox News host Sean Hannity, a good buddy of both Trump and Shine, has been pushing Shine to take the job. The post has been empty since February, after Hope Hicks resigned. Her resignation came just one day after she testified in front of the House Intelligence Committee, revealing that her job required her to tell “white lies.”

Now, it appears Shine will be taking over the job of spreading Trump’s “white lies,” a disturbing prospect, given his handling of sexual harassment and discrimination allegations at Fox. Although Shine himself was never accused of sexual harassment, he was named in at least four lawsuits or claims of alleged sexual harassment or racial discrimination at the network, per CNN, the question being whether Shine did his job and acted properly when these allegations against his coworkers were brought to him. Despite denying that he did anything wrong, Shine resigned. The sexual harassment scandal at Fox also forced Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly to leave the network.

The possibility that Shine, a Fox executive who was wrapped up in a sexual harassment scandal, could be the next communications director is pretty disturbing (if not surprising). The position of director of White House press and communications is ever-changing: Trump’s first pick Jason Miller resigned before Trump even set foot in the White House in light of allegations that he had an affair with another transition official. After Miller, Sean Spicer unsuccessfully juggled the position, along with that of press secretary, until Trump replaced him. Spicer proceeded to throw a tantrum and resign from both jobs. Spicer’s replacement Anthony Scaramucci walked through the door, had a profanity-filled breakdown and proceeded to walk right back out. Then, Trump hired Hicks, a former model with zero political experience, and we all know how that one turned out.

As the nation waits for the official announcement that Shine is the next White House communications director, at least we can hold onto the fact that he probably won’t be there long.