Hope Hicks, former White House communications director under President Donald Trump, will be called to testify at his hush-money trial that begins later this month, NBC News reported Monday.
Hicks, also a former top aide to Trump during the 2016 presidential election, testified before a grand jury in March 2023.
According to the report, Hicks was part of two phone calls in October 2016 with former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen regarding former porn star Stormy Daniels and her alleged affair with Trump roughly 10 years earlier. The first, Oct. 8, 2016, was the day Daniels came forward to say she would tell her story to the National Enquirer. The second call, later that month, was when Cohen allegedly agreed to pay Daniels the $130,000, according to the report.
Prosecutors want to know if Hicks has firsthand knowledge about Trump authorizing Cohen to pay off Daniels for her silence, according to NBC News and The New York Times.
Cohen also allegedly paid $150,000 to American Media Inc., publisher of the National Enquirer, to “catch-and-kill” former Playboy model Karen McDougal’s story to the tabloid about her alleged affair with Trump.
Trump is accused of reimbursing Cohen $420,000, “grossing up” his reimbursement, and adding a $60,000 bonus, and calling them “legal expenses.”
Trump has denied both affairs and pleaded not guilty to the 34-count indictment for falsifying business records.
Cohen, who pleaded guilty in 2018 to federal charges in the case, will also testify, as will Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. Former Enquirer publisher David Pecker is also expected to testify at the trial, which is expected to last up to eight weeks.
The trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on April 15.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/hope-hicks-hush-money/2024/04/01/id/1159405
