Former Fox News executive Bill Shine offered top White House communications job

Lucas Jackson/Reuters

Bill Shine

• Former Fox News executive Bill Shine has been offered the job of White House communications director, multiple news outlets reported Wednesday.
• Shine was forced out at Fox last year after he was accused of covering up former network chief Roger Ailes' sexually predatory behavior.
• The choice reflects the president's deep ties to the conservative cable news network.

Former Fox News executive Bill Shine has been offered the job of White House communications director, multiple news outlets reported Wednesday.

Shine, who was close with the ousted former chief of the network Roger Ailes, was forced out of Fox last year for his handling of sexual misconduct allegations made by several female employees against senior male anchors at the network.

Both Shine and Ailes, who was accused by multiple women of sexual harassment and paid tens of millions of dollars in settlements, denied any wrongdoing. Ailes died in May 2017.

Shine doesn't have any experience in politics, but has long acted as an informal adviser to Trump, and has deep connections to Fox's top personalities, including Sean Hannity, another influential Trump confidant.

White House officials told The New York Times that they believe they'll be able to withstand the criticism they'll inevitably receive over Shine's record as it concerns sexual harassment at Fox.