Anthony Scaramucci

Ex-President of Fox News in Talks for White House Communications Job: Sources

The White House has been without a communications director for several months

Former Fox News president Bill Shine, who resigned last year amid sexual harassment scandals at the cable news channel, is in talks to become the next White House communications director, three sources familiar with the discussions who were not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to NBC News.

The White House has been without a communications director for several months since the departure of Hope Hicks in late March.

If Shine is offered and accepts the job, he would become the Trump White House's fifth communications director. Sean Spicer, who also worked as press secretary, did double-duty after the inauguration until Mike Dubke started in the role in early March 2017. He left in early June and was replaced by Anthony Scaramucci, whose notoriously short-lived tenure lasted only 10 days. Hicks formally took over the job in mid-August.

Shine resigned from Fox News in May 2017 after the network came under fire for its mishandling of sexual harassment claims. Shine has had a longtime relationship with Fox News host Sean Hannity, a noted Trump ally, and he was also considered a protégé of the late Roger Ailes, who built Fox News into a giant in cable news and a force in conservative politics. Ailes also left Fox News in light of the company’s sexual harassment scandals.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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