Former White House communications director Hope Hicks is set to be a witness for the prosecution in the upcoming trial against Donald Trump. A source with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to NBC News that Hicks had met with Manhattan prosecutors for several hours last year. The case revolves around allegations that the former president falsified records related to a hush money payment made by his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign.

As the campaign press secretary at the time, Hicks's potential testimony at the trial, scheduled to commence on April 15, was first reported by The New York Times. In 2019, Hicks's attorney stated that she was unaware of the hush money payment until it became public. However, an FBI agent involved in Cohen's federal criminal case claimed in an affidavit that Hicks was involved in negotiations to prevent Daniels from going public with her allegations of a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006. Trump has consistently denied these allegations.

According to the FBI affidavit, communication regarding the hush money discussions took place following the release of the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape on October 7, 2016, where Trump made controversial remarks about women. The affidavit stated that Cohen was in contact with Hicks, Cohen's then-attorney Keith Davidson, David Pecker of American Media Inc., the publisher of the National Enquirer, and Trump himself around this time.

Detailed court records indicate several phone calls between Hicks, Cohen, Pecker, and Howard, the chief content officer at AMI. Notably, on October 8, 2016, Hicks called Cohen, and Trump joined the call moments later. The conversation lasted four minutes after which Hicks and Cohen continued their discussion privately. Cohen subsequently spoke with Pecker, followed by a call from Howard. Cohen then called Hicks again before speaking with Trump for eight minutes at 8:03 p.m.

The court records also referenced conversations between Trump and Cohen on October 26, the day $130,000 was wired to an escrow account intended for Daniels' attorney as part of an agreement to secure her silence.

Hicks previously testified to the House Judiciary Committee, stating that she was not involved in the hush money discussions and claimed to have become aware of Daniels' allegations only in early November 2016. In response to questions about apparent inconsistencies in Hicks's testimony following the unsealing of the FBI affidavit in 2019, her lawyer released a statement denying her involvement in conversations about hush money payments on October 8, 2016.

With all eyes on the upcoming trial, both Cohen and Daniels are expected to provide key testimony for the case being brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office. Trump has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

This trial serves as another chapter in the ongoing legal battles involving the former president and brings Hicks into the spotlight as a potential witness in an important case surrounding the 2016 presidential campaign.