NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 13: Bill Shine attends The Hollywood Reporter 35 Most Powerful People In Media 2017 at The Pool on April 13, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter)
Bill Shine, a former Fox News executive, is officially joining President Trump’s administration in a senior role, the White House announced in a press release today. The appointment comes less than a week after Trump was said to be considering Shine for the vacant role and more than a year after Shine was first considered for a spot in Trump’s administration.
“Mr. Shine will serve as Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications. He brings over two decades of television programming, communications, and management experience to the role. Previously, Mr. Shine served as Co-President of Fox News Channel and Fox Business Network,” the statement reads.
Shine Served as Co-President of Fox News Following the Departure of Roger Ailes
After the late Roger Ailes was ousted from Fox News in 2016 due to sexual misconduct allegations, Shine, considered at the time to be Ailes’ closest ally, was promoted to Co-President. He held the position for less than year before resigning in May 2017. The network was facing mounting pressure due to Shine’s alleged mishandling of the claims made against Ailes.
Fox News personality Sean Hannity tweeted his support for Shine prior to Shine’s resignation.
Even Trump Allies Are Leary About Shine’s Appointment Due to His Proximity to Sexual Harassment Allegations
Shine hasn’t personally been accused of sexual harassment, but his proximity to Ailes has caused some of Trump’s allies to wonder if Shine’s appointment is a good move.
According to Vanity Fair, “some of the president’s allies fear that he’s bringing in a target of the ‘Me Too’ movement who will focus more attention on the president’s own problems with women.”
Larry Klayman, a former U.S. Justice Department prosecutor who filed dozens of lawsuits against the Clinton administration and founder of Judicial Watch, has asked federal and New York prosecutors to look into Shine’s activities during his time at Fox News. Klayman, a Trump supporter, says that Shine may have broken criminal law for his handling of allegations against Roger Ailes. Shine was a person of interest in a federal investigation into alleged payoffs made by Fox News to quiet Ailes’ accusers.
Speaking with The Daily Beast, Klayman said, “Mr. Shine has been alleged to have been involved in some way in at least three lawsuits involving sexual harassment of women at Fox News.”
In a comment to Buzzfeed about Shine’s appointment, a senior Fox News executive said, “It’s extraordinary that the president of the United States could hire someone like this. This is someone who is highly knowledgeable of women being cycled through for horrible and degrading behavior by someone who was an absolute monster.”
Numerous Media Members Have Already Voiced Their Displeasure of Shine’s Appointment
Media members have flocked to social media to decry Trump’s decision to give a role in his administration to Bill Shine.
I say this as someone who was on Fox for a decade and had no beef (though little interaction) with Bill Shine: It’s a disgrace that a man who, it turns out, enabled and covered up truly repulsive behavior by Roger Ailes, would get a senior White House job.
By appointing Bill Shine – the coverup man for widespread sexual-harassment at Fox News – to a prominent White House position, Donald Trump has issued his 150,000th F.U. to women. Sickening.
Others Have Applauded the Hiring
Even though Shine’s appointment has been met with admonishment, it’s not universal. Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk called Shine’s appointment a “big win.”
Give it a few hours, but by Monday the top story will be fallacious & BS stories attacking Bill Shine
He is super smart, hardworking, understands messaging, and loyal to @POTUS
@realDonaldTrump will benefit tremendously with him in the White House – big win!
Donald Trump Jr. expressed similar sentiments in his comment.
