Bill Shine, the former Fox News president who resigned amid sexual harassment scandals at the cable news channel, is in talks for a senior White House position, most likely a top communications role.
Four sources familiar with the discussions who were not authorized to speak publicly confirmed the talks to NBC News on Wednesday.
Three of the sources said Shine was in discussions for the position of White House communications director, which has been vacant since the departure of Hope Hicks in late March.
The fourth source did not specify the position but did say it was a senior role in the administration. The source said Shine had a good talk with President Donald Trump and is likely to come on board.
Shine resigned from Fox News in May 2017 after the network came under fire for its handling of sexual harassment claims. He has had a longtime relationship with Fox News host Sean Hannity, a noted Trump ally. Shine was also considered a protégé of Roger Ailes, who built Fox News into a giant in cable news and a force in conservative politics. Ailes also left Fox News after a sexual harassment lawsuit was filed against him.
If Shine is offered and accepts the job, he would become the fifth White House communications director in the Trump administration. Sean Spicer, who also worked as press secretary, did double duty after Trump's inauguration until Mike Dubke started in the role in early March 2017. Dubke 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.