Trump investigation: Former White House aide Hope Hicks ‘to cooperate’ with Democrat probe

Former senior White House official Hope Hicks is said to have agreed to cooperate with a Democratic-led congressional investigation into Donald Trump.

Ms Hicks, 30, who was considered one of the president’s closest confidantes and who served as White House communications director from the summer of 2017 to the spring of last year, has reportedly said she will provide documents to a congressional committee looking into possible obstruction of justice by Mr Trump.

CNN said Democratic congressman Jerry Nadler, chair of the House of Representative’s judiciary committee, wrote to Ms Hicks earlier this month, seeking documents on topics that ranged from former national security advisor Michael Flynn’s false statements to the FBI, the May 2017 firing of James Comey, and the drafting of a misleading media statement about Donald Trump Jr’s 2016 meeting in Trump Tower.

The request included documents from “any personal or work diary, journal or other book containing notes, a record or a description of daily events” about the president, his 2016 election campaign or the Trump Organisation, the network said.

Mr Nadler’s office did not immediately respond to enquiries on Wednesday.

However, CNN said Daniel Schwarz, a spokesperson for the committee has confirmed Ms Hicks indicated she would cooperate. It said her lawyer has declined to comment.

Mr Nadler, a congressman from New York, has set a Monday deadline for 81 individuals and entities to provide information to the panel as part of his investigation into possible abuses of power, corruption and obstruction of justice, the network said.

Ms Hicks was widely considered to be among the most influential voices in the White House during the early days of Mr Trump’s administration. When she left last year, the president posed with her outside the Oval Office before boarding the presidential helicopter. The president was on his way to Ohio.

“Hope is outstanding and has done great work for the last three years. She is as smart and thoughtful as they come, a truly great person,” Mr Trump said.

Ms Hicks said: “There are no words to adequately express my gratitude to President Trump. I wish the president and his administration the very best as he continues to lead our country.”

The former communications director is not the only former White House official cooperating with Mr Nadler’s committee; the former strategist Steve Bannon has already provided the committee with several thousands of pages of documents.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for AMI, the parent company of the National Enquirer, said it would also comply with a request.