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| Hope Hicks Left the White House. Now She Must Decide Whether to Talk to Congress. | Hope Hicks Left the White House. Now She Must Decide Whether to Talk to Congress. |
| (5 days later) | |
| One of the best-known but least visible former members of President Trump’s White House staff is facing a crucial question: whether to comply with a congressional subpoena in the coming weeks. | |
| The aide, the former communications director Hope Hicks, who left the White House with an enduring mystique that inspired countless news media profiles, is now a private citizen living in California. One of the president’s original campaign aides, she went on to become one of his closest advisers while managing to maintain a personal relationship with him, his daughter Ivanka and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. | The aide, the former communications director Hope Hicks, who left the White House with an enduring mystique that inspired countless news media profiles, is now a private citizen living in California. One of the president’s original campaign aides, she went on to become one of his closest advisers while managing to maintain a personal relationship with him, his daughter Ivanka and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. |
| But she has not completely left her time in the White House behind: She appears on more than two dozen pages in the report by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, mostly in the second volume, which deals with allegations of obstruction of justice against Mr. Trump. | But she has not completely left her time in the White House behind: She appears on more than two dozen pages in the report by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, mostly in the second volume, which deals with allegations of obstruction of justice against Mr. Trump. |
| Like few others in the White House, Ms. Hicks was witness to some of the president’s angriest moments and most pointed directives about the investigations into the Trump campaign and its contacts with Russians in 2016. Her dilemma now is how to respond to House Democrats, who have grown frustrated and increasingly aggressive in the face of a sweeping decision by the Trump administration, and the Trump Organization, to oppose such subpoenas. | Like few others in the White House, Ms. Hicks was witness to some of the president’s angriest moments and most pointed directives about the investigations into the Trump campaign and its contacts with Russians in 2016. Her dilemma now is how to respond to House Democrats, who have grown frustrated and increasingly aggressive in the face of a sweeping decision by the Trump administration, and the Trump Organization, to oppose such subpoenas. |
| Ms. Hicks was instructed by the House Judiciary Committee to turn over documents by June 4 and to appear in person on June 19. She and another former West Wing aide, Annie Donaldson, who was the chief of staff to Donald F. McGahn II, the White House counsel at the time, were subpoenaed to testify. | Ms. Hicks was instructed by the House Judiciary Committee to turn over documents by June 4 and to appear in person on June 19. She and another former West Wing aide, Annie Donaldson, who was the chief of staff to Donald F. McGahn II, the White House counsel at the time, were subpoenaed to testify. |
| Mr. McGahn also received a subpoena, and declined to appear. He said that he viewed the White House as his client, and that after the White House instructed him not to comply, he had to follow his client’s wishes. | Mr. McGahn also received a subpoena, and declined to appear. He said that he viewed the White House as his client, and that after the White House instructed him not to comply, he had to follow his client’s wishes. |
| During the first 18 months of the administration, when the White House encouraged aides to cooperate with the Mueller investigation, Ms. Hicks was interviewed by the F.B.I. She and other aides — and Trump family members — also cooperated with the congressional investigations into the campaign and the White House, at a time when Republicans still had control of the House. | During the first 18 months of the administration, when the White House encouraged aides to cooperate with the Mueller investigation, Ms. Hicks was interviewed by the F.B.I. She and other aides — and Trump family members — also cooperated with the congressional investigations into the campaign and the White House, at a time when Republicans still had control of the House. |
| But since the release of the Mueller report, Mr. Trump’s posture has changed. The White House has refused to respond to document requests, saying that many are overly broad, and contended that the Mueller report was the final word on the matter. | But since the release of the Mueller report, Mr. Trump’s posture has changed. The White House has refused to respond to document requests, saying that many are overly broad, and contended that the Mueller report was the final word on the matter. |
| In case the message to potential witnesses was not clear, Mr. Trump all but said in a fire-breathing Rose Garden appearance on Wednesday that he is livid over the House investigations. | In case the message to potential witnesses was not clear, Mr. Trump all but said in a fire-breathing Rose Garden appearance on Wednesday that he is livid over the House investigations. |
| A White House spokesman did not respond to an email seeking comment about whether they will instruct Ms. Hicks to follow Mr. McGahn’s lead, or what legal grounds they might invoke to do so. But for Ms. Hicks, the options are fraught. | A White House spokesman did not respond to an email seeking comment about whether they will instruct Ms. Hicks to follow Mr. McGahn’s lead, or what legal grounds they might invoke to do so. But for Ms. Hicks, the options are fraught. |
| Witnesses have generally followed the White House lead, in part because of institutional concerns about areas that could be viewed as covered by executive privilege. But if Ms. Hicks does not cooperate, she would potentially be in legal jeopardy with the House. | Witnesses have generally followed the White House lead, in part because of institutional concerns about areas that could be viewed as covered by executive privilege. But if Ms. Hicks does not cooperate, she would potentially be in legal jeopardy with the House. |
| The likeliest possibility would be a compromise, where she would submit to an interview as long as certain topics are off limits. More recently, Mr. Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., reached a deal with the Senate Intelligence Committee to come in for a limited interview, after he balked at a subpoena. | The likeliest possibility would be a compromise, where she would submit to an interview as long as certain topics are off limits. More recently, Mr. Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., reached a deal with the Senate Intelligence Committee to come in for a limited interview, after he balked at a subpoena. |
| Ms. Hicks declined to comment, as did her lawyer. | Ms. Hicks declined to comment, as did her lawyer. |
| While serving in the White House, Ms. Hicks never appeared on camera, unless it was at Mr. Trump’s side, and never gave an on-camera interview. Since leaving Washington, she has maintained an equally low profile, working at a spinoff company from Fox News. But the Mueller report provided an in-depth, and rare, look at Ms. Hicks’s interactions with the president. | While serving in the White House, Ms. Hicks never appeared on camera, unless it was at Mr. Trump’s side, and never gave an on-camera interview. Since leaving Washington, she has maintained an equally low profile, working at a spinoff company from Fox News. But the Mueller report provided an in-depth, and rare, look at Ms. Hicks’s interactions with the president. |
| Ms. Hicks was mentioned on 28 pages in the report. Three of those are related to possible conspiracy between Russian officials and the Trump campaign, and the rest to the obstruction investigation. They paint a picture of an adviser who was more of a witness to the president’s frustrations with the investigations into his campaign and his own conduct, rather than someone who was an active participant in any discussions of what to do about them. | Ms. Hicks was mentioned on 28 pages in the report. Three of those are related to possible conspiracy between Russian officials and the Trump campaign, and the rest to the obstruction investigation. They paint a picture of an adviser who was more of a witness to the president’s frustrations with the investigations into his campaign and his own conduct, rather than someone who was an active participant in any discussions of what to do about them. |
| Ms. Hicks comes across in her interviews with the F.B.I. as trying to alert Mr. Trump to the possible news media reaction he might face to any new information about what took place in the campaign. | Ms. Hicks comes across in her interviews with the F.B.I. as trying to alert Mr. Trump to the possible news media reaction he might face to any new information about what took place in the campaign. |
| For instance, she is described telling Mr. Trump that emails existed related to Mr. Kushner and a meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer that took place in June 2016 at Trump Tower. The report describes Ms. Hicks looking at the emails at Mr. Kushner’s lawyer’s office, and being “shocked by the emails because they looked ‘really bad.’” | For instance, she is described telling Mr. Trump that emails existed related to Mr. Kushner and a meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer that took place in June 2016 at Trump Tower. The report describes Ms. Hicks looking at the emails at Mr. Kushner’s lawyer’s office, and being “shocked by the emails because they looked ‘really bad.’” |
| “The next day, Hicks spoke privately with the president to mention her concern about the emails, which she understood were soon going to be shared with Congress,” the report says. | “The next day, Hicks spoke privately with the president to mention her concern about the emails, which she understood were soon going to be shared with Congress,” the report says. |
| Mr. Trump, Ms. Hicks told investigators, “seemed upset because too many people knew about the emails and he told Hicks that just one lawyer should deal with the matter. The president indicated that he did not think the emails would leak, but said they would leak if everyone had access to them.” | Mr. Trump, Ms. Hicks told investigators, “seemed upset because too many people knew about the emails and he told Hicks that just one lawyer should deal with the matter. The president indicated that he did not think the emails would leak, but said they would leak if everyone had access to them.” |
| At other points, the report described her recollections of a statement she issued shortly after Election Day in 2016, in which she said there was never contact between the campaign and foreign entities, and a conversation she had with the president after he had fired James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director. | At other points, the report described her recollections of a statement she issued shortly after Election Day in 2016, in which she said there was never contact between the campaign and foreign entities, and a conversation she had with the president after he had fired James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director. |
| Ms. Hicks was also there when the president learned of Mr. Mueller’s appointment as special prosecutor by Rod J. Rosenstein, then the deputy attorney general. | |
| “Hicks saw the president shortly after Sessions departed and described the president as being extremely upset by the special counsel’s appointment,” the report says, adding “that she had only seen the president like that one other time, when the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape came out during the campaign.” | “Hicks saw the president shortly after Sessions departed and described the president as being extremely upset by the special counsel’s appointment,” the report says, adding “that she had only seen the president like that one other time, when the ‘Access Hollywood’ tape came out during the campaign.” |