Hope Hicks Gives Closed-Door Interview on Mueller Probe

By Gene Maddaus

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Hope Hicks appeared at the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday morning to give closed-door testimony on her involvement in the special counsel investigation of President Trump.

The Fox communications chief was subpoenaed in May to provide documents and testimony that would aid in the committee’s investigation into obstruction of justice. After extensive negotiation, Hicks agreed last week to appear in private. A transcript of her testimony is expected to be released within 48 hours.

But Hicks’ testimony may not be terribly helpful. In a letter to the committee on Tuesday, White House counsel Pat Cipollone said Trump had directed her not to answer any questions pertaining to her tenure as a senior White House aide. Hicks would be allowed to discuss her time on the Trump campaign.

“Ms. Hicks is absolutely immune from being compelled to testify before Congress with respect to matters occurring during her service as a senior adviser to the president,” Cipollone wrote.

House Democrats who left the hearing on Wednesday morning told reporters that Hicks had refused to answer basic questions, such as where she sat in the White House office.

“We’re watching obstruction of justice in action,” Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) told Politico .

In a series of tweets on Wednesday morning, Trump accused Democrats of seeking a “redo” of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe.

“This is extreme Presidential Harassment,” he wrote. “They gave Crooked Hillary’s people complete Immunity, yet now they bring back . Why aren’t the Dems looking at the 33,000 Emails that Hillary and her lawyer deleted and acid washed AFTER GETTING A SUBPOENA FROM CONGRESS? That is real Obstruction that the Dems want no part of because their hearings are RIGGED and a disgrace to our Country!”