CNN Legal Analyst Norm Eisen joined host Laura Coates on Monday night to discuss the revelation that Donald Trump’s former White House communications director, Hope Hicks, is set to testify at the former president’s porn star hush money trial starting on April 15th.
“The prosecution including Hicks as a witness isn't because they think she's favorable to Trump, but to obtain information she has,” Coates began.
“I was the lead counsel examining Hope Hicks in the impeachment proceedings. She came in. I found her to be careful but truthful, and she answered the questions we had. If the prosecution is calling her, it’s because she did the same thing,” Eisen began, adding:
In our case, she cooperated. She respected privilege, but cooperated. They have determined that she has information that will help convict Donald Trump. You know, Laura, and it’s the subject of my new book. I thought one of the most interesting parts of the judge’s order today was he wrote right at the top, ‘The charges arise from allegations that defendant attempted to conceal an illegal scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election.’ He doesn’t characterize it that it’s through the payment of hush money. The prosecution must have determined that she can prove that scheme.
“Or contribute to testimony that can do so,” interjected Coates.
Eisen agreed, “That she can confirm or directly support it. This is a very careful, very expert squad of prosecutors. They know what they’re doing. There’s a reason they intended to call her.”
Hicks testified before the grand jury last year that recommended charges in this case. CNN reported at the time that Hicks, who served as the Trump 2016 campaign press secretary, was involved in multiple phone calls with Trump and his then personal fixer Michael Cohen regarding how to stop the Stormy Daniels story from hitting the press. CNN reported:
Federal search warrants released in 2019 showed that prosecutors with the US attorney’s office in the Southern District of New York found there was a mad scramble inside the Trump campaign to suppress additional allegations of a sexual nature from becoming public after the “Access Hollywood” tape was released in the fall of 2016.
At the time, Hicks called Cohen and Trump joined, according to the documents. From there Cohen, acting as a middleman, was involved in at least 10 telephone calls that day, some involving Trump and Hicks and others involving American Media Inc. executives David Pecker and Dylan Howard. AMI owns the National Enquirer tabloid.
Hicks had previously testified before Congress on the topic and, according to CNN, told lawmakers in a closed-door deposition “she had no information about Daniels other than what she learned from reporters.”
Watch the clip above.
