The communications director of the White House Hope Hicks resigned on Wednesday. She put in her papers a day after testifying before the House of Representatives’ Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russia’s alleged interference in the 2016 United States presidential election, the Washington Post reported.
Hicks, who was one of US President Donald Trump’s most trusted aides, said she planned to leave the White House in a few weeks. “There are no words to adequately express my gratitude to President Trump,” Hicks said on Wednesday, according to The Guardian. “I wish the president and his administration the very best as he continues to lead our country.”
Trump responded with his own praise for the communications director. “Hope is outstanding and has done great work for the last three years,” he said. “She is as smart and thoughtful as they come, a truly great person. I will miss having her by my side.”
She had told investigators of the House committee on Tuesday that she had to tell “white lies” occasionally during the 2016 election campaign to appease Trump. However, she denied lying about any substantive matters related to Russia’s alleged interference in the polls.
Hicks’ role in a June 2016 meeting at the Trump Tower between Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort and Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya was a cause for controversy, The Guardian said. The White House said the meeting was to discuss adoptions, but it was later revealed that it was arranged when Russia offered to provide Trump Jr with incriminating information about Hillary Clinton, who was Trump’s rival in the presidential election.
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