Former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks is testifying in the criminal trial of former President Donald Trump in Manhattan. Hicks, who served as a top aide to Trump during his presidency and campaign, is expected to provide information regarding hush money payments made during the 2016 presidential campaign. The trial accuses Trump of falsifying business records related to these payments.
Hicks appeared before the House Intelligence Committee in 2018 and testified about Russian interference in the election and admitted to telling white lies on Trump's behalf. After facing scrutiny, she left the White House for a position at Fox News but returned ahead of Trump's reelection effort.
During her testimony, Hicks could shed light on what was happening inside the political operation during the final weeks before the 2016 election. Witnesses have already testified that Trump used 'phony invoices' and 'false entries' to conceal payments made as part of a deal with Stormy Daniels.
Trump is charged with falsifying business records related to these payments, which are alleged to have been made to hide affairs and pay off women who claimed they had sexual encounters with him. Hicks is the ninth witness to testify against Trump in the trial.
The trial has revealed that Trump used 'phony invoices' and 'false entries' to conceal payments made as part of a deal with Stormy Daniels, which constitutes the 34 falsified business records that the prosecution alleges. Eight other witnesses have already testified in the trial, including David Pecker, former CEO of American Media Inc., Keith Davidson, Rhona Graff, Gary Farro, Robert Browning and Phillip Thompson.
Hicks' testimony comes after Michael Cohen testified against Trump in the trial. Cohen is expected to be the prosecution's star witness and has already provided detailed testimony about meetings, email exchanges, business transactions and bank accounts related to the hush money payments.