Hope Hicks resigns from White House after being thrust into the spotlight with Rob Porter scandal

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Hope Hicks resigns from White House after being thrust into the spotlight with Rob Porter scandal

hope hicks

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

White House Communications Director Hope Hicks listens during a meeting between President Donald Trump and North Korean defectors in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, February 2, 2018, in Washington.

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Hope Hicks is resigning from her position as White House communications director.

The White House confirmed the news on Wednesday, with The New York Times' Maggie Haberman reporting that Hicks' last day in the role is expected to be in the coming weeks.

On Tuesday, Hicks testified before the House Intelligence Committee on the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Hicks could be a pivotal witness as one of Trump's closest advisors- and as one of the few people involved in Trump's campaign who has still been working in the White House.

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However, Haberman tweeted that Hicks' departure was not related to the hearing. According to Haberman's sources, the communications director had been considering leaving the White House for months.

Hicks "told colleagues she felt like she had done all she could do in the job," Haberman tweeted. "She had never liked Washington and never become part of its ecosystem."

rob porter

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly walks with then-White House Staff Secretary Rob Porter to depart with President Donald Trump aboard the Marine One helicopter from the White House in Washington, on November 29, 2017.

The Russian investigation is not the only Washington, DC scandal that Hicks has been linked to recently.

Earlier in February, Hicks was thrust into the spotlight when then-White House staff secretary Rob Porter was accused of physical and emotional abuse by his two ex-wives.

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Hicks was reportedly dating Porter at the time. Despite this, sources told CNN that Hicks was involved in crafting an official statement from the White House chief of staff, John Kelly, supporting Porter.

"Rob Porter is a man of true integrity and honor, and I can't say enough good things about him," Kelly's statement said. "He is a friend, a confidante, and a trusted professional. I am proud to serve alongside him."

Porter resigned after the allegations, which he called "outrageous" and "simply false," were published in various media outlets.

The Daily Mail reported on February 14 that Hicks and Porter ended their relationship after Porter resigned. However, intensified focus has remained on Hicks in recent weeks - something that the communications direction likely did not enjoy.

Hicks is notoriously low-key, and rarely speaks to the media on the record. The Porter scandal marked one of the first times she was not able to stay on the sidelines, but instead became the center of conversation.

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As Hicks prepares to exit the White House, it's hard to imagine that the Porter controversy - and the spotlight it cast on Hicks' life - did not play a role for the 29-year-old.