CNN
—
Hope Hicks, as soon as thought-about considered one of Donald Trump’s closest confidantes and most trusted aides, is anticipated to be known as to testify at his prison trial associated to hush cash funds, in line with a supply aware of the case.
Whereas nothing is remaining till the trial, which is scheduled to start later this month, will get underway, Hicks is considered one of a number of witnesses from the previous president’s orbit who’re anticipated to take the stand. In addition to his former fixer and lawyer Michael Cohen, others from Trump’s internal circle across the 2016 election, together with those that labored on his presidential marketing campaign, will doubtless be on the prosecution’s witness record.
The Manhattan district lawyer’s workplace declined to remark. Hicks didn’t reply to a request for remark.
As CNN reported previously, Hicks appeared earlier than the grand jury final 12 months earlier than Trump was indicted, as did Kellyanne Conway. Hicks was Trump’s press secretary through the marketing campaign and will make clear what was taking place contained in the political operation within the remaining weeks earlier than the 2016 election, as Cohen was paying off grownup movie star Stormy Daniels to stay quiet about an alleged affair that Trump nervous may upend his presidential marketing campaign. Trump reimbursed Cohen after he took workplace and has since been charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records. The previous president has pleaded not responsible and denied the affair.
Federal search warrants launched in 2019 confirmed that prosecutors with the US lawyer’s workplace within the Southern District of New York discovered there was a mad scramble inside the Trump campaign to suppress further allegations of a sexual nature from turning into public after the “Entry Hollywood” tape was launched within the fall of 2016.
On the time, Hicks known as Cohen and Trump joined, in line with the paperwork. From there Cohen, appearing as a intermediary, was concerned in not less than 10 phone calls that day, some involving Trump and Hicks and others involving American Media Inc. executives David Pecker and Dylan Howard. AMI owns the Nationwide Enquirer tabloid.
These conversations, FBI officers believed, had been apparently about Daniels, an grownup movie actress also called Stephanie Clifford, in line with the paperwork.
When Hicks testified earlier than the Home Judiciary Committee shortly earlier than the paperwork’ launch, she answered “no” when requested a number of occasions by Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee whether or not she was ever current when Trump and Cohen mentioned Stormy Daniels, in line with a transcript launched of the closed-door interview.
Hicks additionally stated she had no details about Daniels aside from what she realized from reporters.
“Once more, I had no data of Stormy Daniels aside from to say she was going to be talked about within the story amongst folks that had been procuring tales round,” Hicks testified. “There have been no specifics provided by the reporter, and I didn’t have every other info aside from what was being relayed to me by the reporter.”
Affirmation that Hicks is anticipated to be on the witness record comes because the decide overseeing the trial expanded a gag order Monday to incorporate relations of the court docket and the Manhattan district lawyer, after the previous president leveled feedback towards the decide’s daughter in current days.
“The typical observer, should now, after listening to defendant’s current assaults, draw the conclusion that in the event that they turn into concerned in these proceedings, even tangentially, they need to fear not just for themselves, however for his or her family members as effectively,” Decide Juan Merchan wrote. “Such considerations will undoubtedly intervene with the truthful administration of justice and constitutes a direct assault on the Rule of Legislation itself.”
This story has been up to date with further reporting.