House Intel Committee postpones Hope Hicks’s testimony: report

White House communications director Hope Hicks’s scheduled appearance before the House Intelligence Committee has been delayed amid uncertainty she would respond to the panel’s questions, CNN reported Thursday.

Hicks was expected to testify on Friday as part of the committee’s ongoing probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.

However, committee members reportedly have concerns she might emulate former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon in refusing to answer questions about her time in the Trump transition and administration.

{mosads}A source told CNN that the delay gives investigators more time to determine what she could and could not discuss.

The White House and Hicks’s attorney did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment.

During Bannon’s testimony on Tuesday, his lawyer reportedly phoned the White House counsel’s office repeatedly to see if his client could answer certain questions. 

Even after the committee served Bannon with a subpoena to compel his testimony, the former White House aide avoided answering questions about his work during Trump’s transition or presidency. 

Democrats on the committee expressed frustration, saying the White House essentially issued a gag order for Bannon. 

The White House has pushed back against such claims, saying it is cooperating with the investigation.

The House Intelligence Committee is one of multiple congressional panels conducting separate investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 election.