Good and bad news: The Washington Post is reporting that Donald Trump's former campaign aide and White House communications director Hope Hicks has agreed to testify to the House Judiciary Committee next Wednesday, but the testimony will take place behind closed doors.
This is movement of sorts. Hicks will become the first former White House aide to testify to the Judiciary panel in the midst of its post-Mueller report investigation into Trump. How forthcoming she is, and how often she shields herself and Trump by invoking executive privilege, remains to be seen.
But importantly, the testimony will only be seen by the lawmakers themselves. Democrats reportedly plan to release a transcript following her testimony. But as we have seen, the movie version holds far more sway with the public than the book does.
Make no mistake, though: This will absolutely get under Trump's skin. The White House directed Hicks, among others, not to comply with the congressional subpoena for her testimony. Hicks will be accompanied by a member of the White House counsel’s office.