On Monday that former White House communications director Hope Hicks will testify for the prosecution in the falsifying business records case against Donald Trump in New York this month.
Hicks spent hours with the Manhattan prosecutors who brought the case last year. They claim the former president lied about a hush money payment his then-lawyer Michael Cohen made to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign.
Hicks was Trump's campaign press secretary. Her prospective testimony at the April 15 criminal trial was first reported by The New York Times. Hope Hicks and Donald Trump at the International Church of Las Vegas. Trump and Hope Hicks in Las Vegas in 2020.
Hicks' attorney indicated in 2019 that she didn't know about the hush money until it was revealed. In an affidavit for Cohen's federal criminal prosecution, an FBI agent who was investigating Cohen claimed he suspected Hicks was involved in discussions to prevent Daniels from revealing her 2006 sexual encounter with Trump. Trump denies sleeping with Stephanie Clifford Daniels.
The affidavit stated that conversations began after Trump's campaign was suffering from the "Access Hollywood" tape revelation on Oct. 7, 2016. During a 2005 hot mic moment, Trump said he could grope women without their consent because "Stars can do whatever they want. Anything is possible."
Hicks contacted Cohen at 7:20 p.m. on Oct. 8, 2016, her first call in weeks, and Trump joined seconds after, according to court records. The chat lasted 4 minutes. After Trump exited the call, Hicks and Cohen chatted alone, and Cohen called AMI CEO Pecker, according to court records.
According to court filings, Howard, AMI's chief content officer, called Cohen shortly after that chat. Cohen contacted Hicks and Pecker again. Cohen called Trump at 8:03 p.m., according to released federal court filings. They chatted for 8 minutes.
Hicks' lawyer Robert Trout stated, “Reports claiming that Ms. Hicks was involved in conversations about ‘hush-money’ payments on Oct. 8, 2016, or knew that payments were being discussed, are simply wrong.” The Democratic chair of the committee questioned Hicks' "apparent inconsistencies" from the 2019 FBI affidavit unsealing.
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