An Example Of How Subpoenas Don't Work

(via NY Times)

Umm, you don't 'decide' whether to comply with a congressional subpoena.

You comply.

Hope Hicks Told House Intel Committee Her Email Had Been Hacked

Former White House communications director Hope Hicks apparently told members of the House Intelligence Committee last week that one of her email accounts had been hacked.

From NBC News:

Under relatively routine questioning from Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., about her correspondence, Hicks indicated that she could no longer access two accounts: One she used as a member of President Donald Trump's campaign team and a personal account, according to four people who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the closed meeting of the Intelligence Committee was supposed to remain private.

Hicks, who portrayed herself as not savvy in matters of technology, told lawmakers that one of the accounts was hacked, according to two sources who were in the room. It is unclear if Hicks was referring to a campaign or personal account.

NBC News goes on to note that Hicks did not offer when or why her accounts might have been hacked. And since Hicks was appearing before the committee voluntarily, it seems none of the lawmakers asked those follow-up questions.

I'm guessing it was during the same period of questioning that Hicks admitted to telling "white lies" for Donald Trump.

Well color me surprised 🙄

The 29 year old ex fashion assistant turned out to be an easy mark for hackers (The Russians)?

If Hillary or Obama hired a 29 year old fashion assistant, who subsequently got hacked, the @GOP would be lining up to impeach them https://t.co/iF9JbOooW3

— UnsilentMajority 🌹 (@The_UnSilent_) March 7, 2018

That awkward moment when a woman failed to secure her emails while working for the president, but it's Hope Hicks instead of Hillary and so Republicans aren't sure whether to chant "LOCK HER UP!" or "FAKE NEWS".

— Top Conservative Cat (@TeaPartyCat) March 7, 2018

BREAKING: Hope Hicks told House Intel her email account was hacked and she no longer has access to it

The hypocrisy of the But Her Emails crowd never ceases to amaze mehttps://t.co/XpNdvv2oXe

— Jack Miller (@politicalmiller) March 7, 2018

Alternatively, I suppose Trump could ask Russia to help locate the missing Hope Hicks e-mails. Maybe WikiLeaks can produce them?

— ml8_ml8 (@ml8_ml8) March 7, 2018

Hope Hicks Leaving White House After Trump "Berated" Her For Admitting To "White Lies"

Hope Hicks (image via Twitter)

Yesterday, White House communications director Hope Hicks announced she would be leaving her position in the Trump administration in part because "she never liked Washington and chose not to pretend to."

But today, The New York Post is reporting that Hicks was berated by Donald Trump for admitting to the House Intelligence Committee that she often told “white lies” for him.

This apparently did not please The Donald.

The president got angry at Hicks after learning she made the revelation Tuesday to the House Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russia’s meddling into the 2016 election, a Trump ally told CNN.

A livid Trump demanded to know “how she could be that stupid” to admit she lies for the president, the report said.

Hicks, who has been by Trump’s side since the start of his presidential campaign, then suddenly announced Wednesday she would resign.

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley pushed back at CNN on Wednesday night, saying the report that Trump berated Hicks was “false.”

Hicks has become one of Trump's closest and most trusted advisers having worked with Trump before his presidential campaign.

Before this two year presidential journey with Trump, Hicks had no experience at all in politics.

White House Soon To Be "Hope-Less" As Comm Director To Resign

Another one bites the dust.

From The New York Times:

Hope Hicks, the White House communications director and one of President Trump’s longest-serving advisers, said Wednesday that she plans to leave the White House in the coming weeks.

Ms. Hicks, 29, a former model who joined Mr. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign without any experience in politics, became known as one of the few aides who understood his personality and style and could challenge the president to change his views.

Ms. Hicks had been considering leaving for several months. She told colleagues that she had accomplished what she felt she could with a job that made her one of the most powerful people in Washington, and that there would never be a perfect moment to leave, according to White House aides.

Her resignation came a day after she testified for eight hours before the House Intelligence Committee, telling the panel that in her job, she had occasionally been required to tell white lies but had never lied about anything connected to the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election.

The news of Hicks' resignation comes just a day after she spent more than 8 hours testifying in front of the House Intelligence Committee.

According to reports, while she declined to answer many questions she did admit that she has felt her job required her to tell "white lies" about events at the White House.

Hicks has also been implicated in the drafting of a misleading statement Trump dictated aboard Air Force One regarding his son’s meeting with a Russian lawyer during the presidential election.

According to people present at the time, Hicks reportedly told the president that Trump Jr.’s email exchange in setting up the meeting would "never get out.”

Recently, she was also romantically involved with now-departed White House staff secretary Rob Porter who resigned amid multiple allegations of domestic abuse from his two ex-wives.

Here's the explanation from Haberman. I think Tapper was ... skeptical. pic.twitter.com/YhWlWclDjg

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) February 28, 2018

Master Class In How To Kiss Your Boss's Ass

That "magnetic personality" of Donald Trump on full display

White House spokeswoman Hope Hicks emptied an entire thesaurus of superlatives in describing her boss in response to a Washington Post report that President Trump is demeaning and condescending to his staff:

“President Trump has a magnetic personality and exudes positive energy, which is infectious to those around him. He has an unparalleled ability to communicate with people, whether he is speaking to a room of three or an arena of 30,000. He has built great relationships throughout his life and treats everyone with respect. He is brilliant with a great sense of humor . . . and an amazing ability to make people feel special and aspire to be more than even they thought possible.”

I'd guess the Trumpmeister wrote it himself except there are some awfully bigly words in that word salad.

I can only imagine this is what it's like to live in fear of being screamed at by your boss.

(source)