Politics

Trump Instructs Hope Hicks Not To Testify About White House Work

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President Donald Trump has asserted immunity for former White House communications director Hopes Hicks to prevent his longtime assistant from testifying to Congress this week about her work in the White House.

Pat Cipollone, the White House general counsel, told the House Judiciary Committee in a letter on Tuesday that Hicks is “absolutely immune from being compelled to testify before Congress with respect to matters occurring during her service as a senior adviser to the President.”

Hicks is scheduled to appear for a closed-door interview on Wednesday in response to a subpoena issued in May by New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the Judiciary panel. Hicks has provided some documents to the committee from her work on the campaign, but has withheld others from her time in the White House.

Democrats want to quiz Hicks about her work on the Trump campaign, during the transition period and as White House communications director. She left the position on March 29, 2018, and is now a top communications executive at Fox.

Politico reported that Democrats plan to ask Hicks about five separate incidents of possible obstruction that were investigated by the special counsel. Hicks was present during discussions about firing James Comey as FBI director. Democrats also plan to ask Hicks about hush money payments made on Trump’s behalf before the 2016 election.

Cipollone said in his letter that the White House may also assert executive privilege in response to some questions about Hicks’ stint on the presidential transition team.

A White House attorney will be with Hicks during her testimony, and a transcript of her interview could be made available within 48 hours of her appearance on Capitol Hill.

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