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Thursday 13 June 2019

Former Trump aide Hope Hicks agrees to Judiciary interview

By MARY CLARE JALONICK ing at which Donald Trump but Democrats want to talk
and ERIC TUCKER Jr. expected to receive dirt to him anyway.
Associated Press on Democrat Hillary Clin- Nadler said Tuesday that
WASHINGTON (AP) — For- ton. he also hopes to call in
mer White House com- Hicks and another former Jody Hunt, who served as
munications director White House aide, Annie former Attorney General
Hope Hicks has agreed to Donaldson, both defied Jeff Sessions’ chief of staff,
a closed-door interview subpoenas last week to and former White House
with the House Judiciary provide documents to the aide Rick Dearborn.
Committee, the panel an- committee after the White Absent key witnesses,
nounced Wednesday, a House directed them not Democrats have so far
breakthrough for Demo- to cooperate. That came held hearings with issue
crats who have been frus- after former White House experts to review Mueller’s
trated by President Donald counsel Don McGahn also report, which examined
Trump’s broad stonewalling defied subpoenas for doc- Russian interference in the
of their investigations. In this Feb. 27, 2018 photo, then-White House Communications uments and testimony at 2016 election and whether
The Judiciary panel sub- Director Hope Hicks arrives to meet behind closed doors with the direction of the White Trump obstructed justice as
poenaed Hicks, a close and the House Intelligence Committee, at the Capitol in Washington. House. McGahn was men- he tried to undermine the
trusted Trump aide who Associated Press tioned frequently in Muel- probe. On Wednesday, the
worked for the presidential view will mark the first time counsel’s office about mul- ler’s report, in addition to House intelligence panel
campaign and in the White a former Trump aide has tiple episodes involving the Donaldson, who was his heard from former FBI of-
House, last month as part of testified before the panel president. That includes the aide. It is unclear whether ficials who told lawmak-
its investigation into special as part of its probe. Hicks president’s role in the draft- Hicks will decline to answer ers that Russian meddling
counsel Robert Mueller’s was a key witness for Muel- ing of a misleading and in- some questions related to in the 2016 election bore
report and obstruction of ler, delivering important complete statement about her time in the White House. some of the textbook tricks
justice. Her June 19 inter- information to the special a 2016 Trump Tower meet- She has so far declined to of the trade of Kremlin spy-
release any documents craft, including the volume
related to that period af- and breadth of contacts
ter the White House said with Trump associates.
she had no legal right to After that hearing, House
provide them. But she has Intelligence Committee
turned over documents Chairman Adam Schiff, D-
related to her time on the Calif., threatened to sub-
Trump campaign. poena FBI Director Christo-
While the interview will be pher Wray for information
behind closed doors, the related to the bureau’s
committee chairman, Jer- counterintelligence investi-
rold Nadler, said the inter- gation into the Russian in-
view transcript will be re- terference.
leased to the public. Schiff said he has unsuc-
“It is important to hear cessfully sought more in-
from Ms. Hicks, who was a formation about that in-
key witness for the special vestigation and any links to
counsel,” Nadler said. “Ms. Trump’s campaign, includ-
Hicks understands that the ing whether that probe is
committee will be free to still active. The investigation
pose questions as it sees was first disclosed by then-
fit.” Democrats hope that FBI Director James Comey
Hicks’ interview will be the at a committee hearing in
first of many related to March 2017, and Schiff said
Mueller’s report. They are he has received few an-
expected to go to court swers about it since Com-
soon to enforce a subpoe- ey was fired by Trump two
na against McGahn, and months later.
negotiations are ongo- Schiff wants to know wheth-
ing for Mueller’s own testi- er the FBI is still conducting
mony. Mueller has made it any related counterintelli-
clear that he doesn’t want gence investigations. Such
to testify and will not go be- inquiries can take years
yond the substance of the and extend far beyond a
report in any questioning, criminal probe.q