President Donald Trump is in the final stages of choosing the fifth person to serve as his White House communications director, Fox News chief White House correspondent John Roberts reported Wednesday.
“Former Fox News co-president Bill Shine is in final talks with DonaldTrump about becoming White House Communications Director,” Roberts tweeted. “Announcement could be soon.”
Shine would replace Hope Hicks, who left the administration in March.
During the Trump administration, the position was also held by Sean Spicer twice, Mike Dubke and for ten days, by Anthony Scaramucci.
The move was confirmed by The New York Times, which reported, “the move has not been finalized, but two people familiar with the decision said it was likely to be announced and that the president had offered him the job.”
Shine left Fox News in May of 2017 after women at the network reportedly circulated a petition demanding he be fired.
Shine reportedly told a female executive that the network’s pattern of sexual harassment was a “necessary evil.”
It was also reported at the time that Shine had attempted to have a female executive institutionalized against her will at a psychiatric hospital to prevent her going public with about sexual harassment by former Fox News boss Roger Ailes.
“Officials at the White House are aware that they will face blowback for appointing someone so closely tied to Mr. Ailes and the culture of harassment toward women at Fox News,” The Times noted. “But they said Wednesday that they believe they can weather it.”
According to The Times, Kellyanne Conway declined the position and Mercedes Schlapp was not offered the job.