Hope Hicks met with Robert Mueller today – and it turns out she already met with the FBI months ago
Over the past week, Donald Trump adviser Hope Hicks has suddenly been thrust into the spotlight in the Trump-Russia scandal. Donald Trump Jr testified that he informed Hicks of his Trump Tower meeting with Russian government representatives during the campaign. It’s widely suspected that Hicks then passed that information onto Donald Trump. She was interviewed today by Special Counsel Robert Mueller – but it turns out she already met with the FBI several months ago.
The FBI met with Hope Hicks earlier this year in order to warn her about efforts that the Russians had made to contact her during the transition period, according to a new report from the New York Times (link). There is no indication that Hicks did anything improper in relation to this particular storyline, but it does serve to significantly complicate the position Hicks finds herself in with regard to the Trump-Russia scandal. In fact Hicks was interviewed by Mueller earlier today.
It’s not yet known what Hicks told Mueller today. Did she confirm that she had informed Donald Trump about Donald Trump Jr’s Russia meeting? If so, she just handed Mueller proof that Trump was in on the Russia conspiracy during the campaign. If Hicks lies to Mueller, and he can go on to prove it, he can arrest her for it. In such case she’d end up having to cut a plea deal against Trump just to save herself.
This latest FBI revelation serves to further cement the fact that everyone, from Trump’s own family to the Russians, has been well aware from the start that sending an email to Hope Hicks is the most effective way to get a message to Donald Trump. This pushes her even further into the center of controversy. Look for even more leaks about her, one way or the other, as the month goes on.
