Democrats are openly complaining about Hope Hicks’ refusal to answer their questions during closed-door testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.
The White House has asserted executive privilege over any information Hicks, the former White House director of communications, might be asked to give about her work in the Trump administration in the interview focused on special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and possible obstruction by President Trump and his associates.
Within an hour of the interview starting, Democratic lawmakers vented to journalists on Capitol Hill about her resistance to their inquiries.
“She’s objecting to stuff that’s already in the public record,” California Rep. Karen Bass said, according to the Associated Press. “It’s pretty ridiculous.”
Her colleague, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, called the hearing “a farce.” The Washington Democrat noted that at one point Hicks began to answer a question, but lawyers present declared executive privilege. “Basically, she can say her name,” Jayapal said.
Hicks was subpoenaed to appear before the panel, and late Tuesday the White House counsel Pat Cipollone sent a letter to Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., that said Hicks is “absolutely immune from being compelled to testify” about her time as a senior adviser to the president and that Trump directed her not to answer questions related to this time. Although Hicks is allowed to answer questions about the 2016 campaign, Cipollone said some questions Hicks may face about her work during the transition period after the election could be subject to executive privilege.
Rep. Ted Lieu of California, a Democratic member of the panel, said in a snarky tweet, “Excited I got Hope Hicks to answer one question about her tenure at the White House. I asked if on her first day, ‘was it a sunny day or a cloudy day?'”
Lieu, who was live-tweeting some of the exchanges in the hearing, said the Republicans are mad that he was openly highlighting the “absurdity of absolute immunity.” He told reporters that lawmakers were “watching obstruction of justice in action.”
This is what it’s like for the interview of Hope Hicks (questions modified but you’ll get the point):
Chair: Ms. Hicks, was it a sunny day on your first day of work?
Ridiculous DOJ Attorney: OBJECTION!
Chair: Where was your office located?
Ridiculous DOJ Attorney: OBJECTION! https://t.co/pHS93DpnJ1
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) June 19, 2019
More absurdity from @TheJusticeDept attorney in the Hope Hicks interview.
Republican Member: Ms. Hicks, did you previously testify before Congress?
Ridiculous DOJ Attorney: OBJECTION!
Republican Member: Did you testify voluntarily?
Ridiculous DOJ Attorney: OBJECTION!
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) June 19, 2019
Addressing reporters in the hallway, Nadler would only said, “Hicks is answering questions put to her and the interview continues.”
Democrats have said they will likely go to court to try and get Hicks to answer questions about her time in the White House. Hicks has additionally agreed to hand over documents stemming back to her time on the Trump campaign to the Judiciary panel but complied with the White House’s demand for her to withhold records related to her work in the White House.
As Hicks was arriving at the hearing, Trump tweeted that Democrats are attempting to “redo” Mueller’s investigation, calling their hearings “rigged” and accusing them of “extreme presidential harassment.” The president also asked why Democrats are not asking questions about Hillary Clinton’s use of an unauthorized email server.
