GABRIEL SHERMAN: It's really hard to understate the importance of this story. Bill Shine was the co-president of Fox News. He had replaced Roger Ailes in the wake of Ailes' firing last summer amidst the sexual harassment scandal. And in that time, Ali, he had been at the center of a number of scandals himself regarding sexual harassment and racial discrimination. He was named in lawsuits. And this was a sign that the culture at Fox News had not changed, and there was a groundswell of protests from women inside Fox News, as well as critics outside the network. And today, the Murdochs decided to let Shine resign from the network. So this is really, besides the exodus of Bill O'Reilly, the biggest bombshell to hit the network in the wake of Roger Ailes' departure.

ALI VELSHI (HOST): Gabe, your initial reporting from some time ago, when these stories of sexual assaults first started to come together, sexual harassment at Fox. There were some allegations from some of the people who complained that Bill Shine had some a role as an enabler, an accommodator of some of the things that Roger Ailes was up to.

SHERMAN: Yes, and without question. Bill Shine was Roger Ailes' right-hand man. He was at the network since the beginning in 1996. He was in almost every key meeting with Roger Ailes, and women that I've interviewed said that he was aware of the sexual harassment. Now, we should point out he has denied knowing about it. But it begs the larger question that even if he denies knowing about it, he was in a position to know. And as you point out, it's been documented through lawsuits and my own reporting that he enabled and allowed this culture of sexual harassment and secrecy and the hostility that women faced inside Fox News to continue unchecked for more than 20 years.

VELSHI: And just to be clear, this wasn't a matter of simply a passive turning of a blind eye. There are allegations that Bill Shine was involved in the cutting of a check, if there was a check to be cut, or the logistics of some of the things that Roger Ailes was up to with female subordinate workers.

SHERMAN: Yes, of course. And one of the most vivid and disturbing cases I reported last summer was that of Laurie Luhn, a female Fox News executive who said that she was subject to almost a 20-year sexual and psychologically abusive relationship with Ailes, and Bill Shine arranged for Laurie Luhn, who was based in the Washington bureau of Fox News, to travel to New York for meetings. He arranged these meetings. He monitored her emails when Roger Ailes was worried that she might go rogue and go public with the stories of her experience. And so Bill Shine, again, was intimately involved, not just turning a blind eye but again facilitating these liaisons that Roger Ailes had. And again we should point out he's denied it, but I think today's resignation is a sign that clearly where there's smoke, there's fire.

VELSHI: I just want to read the memo that was sent to Fox employees. It's from Rupert Murdoch, and it says, “Sadly, Bill Shine resigned today. I know Bill was respected and liked by everybody at Fox News. We will all miss him.” Kind of remarkable in three sentences that it can be controversial. The “I know Bill was respected and liked by everybody at Fox News.” Even that is not simple, Gabe.

SHERMAN: Yes, that is clearly not a factually accurate statement. He was liked and respected by the talent and especially men inside the network. We should point out Sean Hannity is very loyal to Bill Shine. Bill Shine was Sean Hannity's long-time executive producer before being promoted into the corporate ranks. But women inside Fox News, I think that statement that Murdoch released is very misleading because they felt that Shine actively helped create this culture of sexual harassment. So I think if Rupert Murdoch had polled a wider selection of his employees, that statement may have been worded differently.

Previously:

Angelo Carusone Statement On Bill Shine Resigning As Co-President Of Fox News

How Bill Shine Has Been Implicated In Fox News' Ongoing Legal Disasters

After Fox Fired O'Reilly, Bill Shine Should Be Next