Judicial Watch founder Larry Klayman on Tuesday called for federal and state prosecutors to investigate ousted Fox News executive Bill Shine — and appealed to President Trump to await the outcome of these probes before naming him his White House deputy chief of staff.
[Editor's Note: President Trump on Thursday appointed Shine as deputy chief of staff for communications.]
In a news release from Freedom Watch — Klayman's new judicial organization – he asked both the Manhattan District Attorney and the federal U.S. Attorney for New York's Southern District to review potential crimes related to allegations made against Shine.
Shine was forced out of Fox News in May 2017 as the cable news network reeled from a growing sex harassment scandal that centered around Fox News' late CEO Roger Ailes.
In July 2016, after a series of allegations that Ailes required employees at Fox to engage in sex acts with him to keep their job or gain promotions, the network fired him.
Shine had served as Ailes' long-time chief lieutenant and oversaw the networks alleged efforts to quash the harassment complaints.
"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," Klayman told The Daily Beast's Lloyd Grove.
Klayman alleges "serious and published allegations about Shine" include activities involving former Fox News employee Laurie Luhn, who has alleged she was sexually abused by Ailes.
"Luhn claims allegedly that she was videotaped in sex acts by Ailes and that he 'coerced her into performing sex acts on him,'" Klayman told The Daily Beast.
Klayman cited Luhn's claims made in Vanity Fair and New York magazine that after a mental breakdown, Shine allegedly kept her sequestered in a New York hotel room for almost six weeks and oversaw all her email communications with her family.
Luhn said while in the hotel she was on drugs and in a state of "delirium." Shine has denied Luhn's claims.
After she returned to her family's home in Texas, Shine admitted to New York magazine he located a psychiatrist for Luhn who had her hospitalized and medicated. Luhn unsuccessfully tried to commit suicide.
Luhn later threatened to sue the network over Ailes' and Shine's actions. Fox reportedly settled with her for $3.1 million. According to New York magazine the settlement agreement prohibited her from contacting the FBI.
Klayman, a strong supporter of the President, said Trump "is not anti-women's rights, but he has been unfairly branded as such by the leftist media in a further attempt to harm his presidency and to try to drive him from office.
"The president does not need unnecessary controversy at this time by naming Shine to what is in effect a deputy of chief of staff in charge of communications and messaging, as he seeks to appoint a Supreme Court Justice, denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, deal with Iranian terrorism and its similar nuclear threat, curb illegal immigration, negotiate good trade deals and a host of other pressing and crucial issues.
"Before he hires Shine, he should first allow for a full investigation into Shine's alleged abuse of Ms. Luhn and cover-up which, if true, could amount to obstruction of justice," he stated.
According to The Daily Beast, Klayman clashed with Ailes over the handling of women who were accusers against former President Bill Clinton. Klayman relentlessly pursued legal action against the Clinton administration, and for his impeachment, in the 1990s.
"I had issues with Ailes," Klayman told the news outlet. "Shine and Ailes were joined at the hip."
"I don't want to see the ghost of Roger Ailes running the White House communications operation," he said.
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