Could Hope Hicks return to White House?

Report cites former adviser as possible chief of staff

Three months after her departure from the Trump administration, Greenwich native Hope Hicks could once again have an office at the White House.

After published reports said President Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff John Kelly may be heading for the exit, possibly as soon as this summer, Vanity Fair jumped in on Friday with a report that Hicks was a “dark horse candidate” for the spot. The magazine cited two anonymous sources.

Hicks, the former White House communications director, did not respond to requests for comment from the magazine.

Drew Marzullo, a Democrat and former Greenwich selectman, worked with Hicks’ sister as an EMT in Greenwich. He first heard the rumors a few days ago — and heard they are true, he said.

“What an opportunity. Especially as a young woman,” Marzullo wrote in an email. “However with that said, many, and I want to emphasize many, high level Trump administration personnel tenure have ended not so well. No question Hope is loyal to the President and (he) trusts her emphatically, but what happens when this chaotic administration unravels even more?”

Hicks’ father, Paul, was a Greenwich selectman from 1987 to 1991. Greenwich Republican state Rep. Fred Camillo knows Paul, but not 29-year-old Hicks, he said.

“It’s a great honor for Hope,” Camillo said Friday. “If she’s chosen, I’m sure she will do a great job for the president.”

That could be a big “if.” Office of Management and Budget chief Mick Mulvaney and Mike Pence’s chief of staff, Nick Ayers, are the front-runners for the job, The Wall Street Journal reported.

A member of the Trump campaign before joining the administration, Hicks was a close confidant of the president — she was described as having a near father-daughter relationship with him.

That was before she resigned in February after a lengthy grilling by the House Intelligence Committee, during which she admitted to telling “white lies” for the president.

The resignation also came weeks after the sudden departure of former Staff Secretary Rob Porter, who left the White House after reports that two ex-wives had accused him of domestic violence in background interviews with the FBI. The news sparked outrage not just over the allegations, but because Porter, who controlled the flow of paper to and from the president, had been operating without a permanent security clearance.

Hicks had been romantically involved with Porter, but people close to her said that played no role in her resignation.

Hicks has no background in government or politics. The one-time model had handled public relations for Ivanka Trump.

She graduated from Greenwich High School in 2006, and was captain of the girls’ lacrosse team.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Andrew Harnik / Associated Press Former White House communications director Hope Hicks, with President Donald Trump. She is said to be under consideration for chief of staff.