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California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman's campaign is responding to accusations that she subjected to "emotional and financial abuse" her former housekeeper, who was working illegally in the country.
Nicky Diaz, who was Whitman's housekeeper from 2000-2009, claimed in a press conference alongside attorney Gloria Allred that Whitman was aware that she was undocumented and that the Republican candidate fired her only after deciding to run for governor. Diaz also said Whitman failed to pay her on time and did not offer her medical leave during her pregnancy.
Allred said that Whitman ignored a 2003 letter from the Social Security Administration notifying her of discrepancies in the Social Security number that Diaz provided.
Whitman, who has poured millions of her own money into the close race against Democrat former Gov. Jerry Brown, flatly said in a statement that “the charges are without merit.”
Whitman's campaign held a conference call with reporters - though not allowing follow-up questions – before the press conference to address the allegations.
On June 20, 2009, the campaign said, Diaz came to Whitman and confessed that she was not a legal resident of the U.S. and filed false documents. She was then fired by Whitman.
“As required by law, once we learned she was an illegal worker, I immediately terminated Nicky's employment,” Whitman said in a written statement.”It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I considered Nicky a friend and a part of our extended family.”
The campaign also argued that Allred had given Jerry Brown campaigns contributions in 1982 ($1,000) and in 2006 ($150), and said the timing of this complaint -- 34 days until the election -- was curious.
“I believe Nicky is being manipulated by Gloria Allred for political and financial purposes during the last few weeks of a hotly contested election," the statement read.
*** UPDATE *** A CNN/Time/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Wednesday showed Whitman trailing Brown 52 percent to 43 percent.
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If there is actually a document in 2003 advising her that the social security number was in question then I don't see how this can be anything but hypocritical on her part.
For starters, both sides of the isle (Republicans & Democrats) have raped this great nation for their own personal and/or political party agendas...and look at the world of s*#t we are all neck deep in!
Personally, I am so F'ing sick and tired of being sick and tired of politics in general. I cannot stand either candidate for governor and do not know what to do...or what direction to go!?!
With that being said, I find the timing of Gloria "The Attention Whore" Allred's illegal alien case rather fishy. The timing of this announcement, so close to election day, certainly raises an eyebrow and of course there is Allred...well enough said. Then what about this illegal alien, who is ILLEGAL and the many counts of fraud she is clearly guilty of? I wonder how Allred is pawning her client and why would Allred openly state her client falsified documentation and is ILLEGAL? What is the angle? Oh, Allred is a Brown supporter! Then there is the issue of Whitman employing an illegal alien and taking advantage of that arrangement. Well, the known facts totally contradict that claim. The illegal alien had all the motive to conceal her illegal status, which she did through phony documentation, lying to the employment agency and ultimately Whitman. If Whitman truly was taking advantage of the illegal alien, then why was Whitman going through every legal channel in hiring her and employing her? Wouldn't Whitman just pay her under the table, squeeze every ounce of work out of her, while paying next to nothing for it? If Whitman wanted to take advantage, why have such visibility that the IRS was sending letters on the phony documentation? Why go by the book/law? Usually people who knowingly cheat go to great lengths to hide it. Why have an employee W2 or 1099...just pay under the table and eliminate the paper trail...Whitman could afford it. Doesn't make any sense...something smells like stinky politics.
The failure of Meg to allow follow up questions leds me to believe there is something to hide. Those who have nothing to hide, hide nothing.
Actionman,
Your bias opinion is not a fact. Hmmmm, may be an assumption based on how you might handle the situation.
Come on Whitman, what a bunch of crap. You knew she was illegal. Cut the BS. I don't know how you can self-righteously claim you didn't know. You didn't have to go through a service that would have had a background check done on her. You and your palsy-walsy uppercrusts just hire the same person, that will work for undocumented wages and goes from house to house. How stupid do you think people in CA are?
Thinkaboutit....
I would say most of the people in the US thinks Californians are stupid...look at the messy you are in and don't want to own up to it. Don't ask the other 49 and the feds to bail you out for your stupidity.
Hilarious. Just 24 hours after saying all companies who hire undocumented workers should be held accountable and fined, Meg Whitman is busted for employing an illegal alien for nine years. Nine years! And she says she didn't know the housekeeper was illegal until two weeks before the debate. How stupid does she think we California voters are?
Hey Chuckie
Look at your state! Very obvious how stupid the California voters are! LOL
oh come on seriously, brain washed much? aside from the cost of living here, its just the same as it has always been... big cities have always been expensive, and since everyone and their mother wants to move here to get our high wages, everything is expensive, supply and demand....
california is one of the most beautiful places in the world, has some of the most forward thnking people, and will never be in ruin... we live like we always have, people just believe the hype, its mind games, all part of what state governments do to justify itself... whats funny is to see all these people around the country so joyous to bash us .... so naive.... california is a destination, not a machine...
my ancestors were first nation here, we've watched new comers, throughout the centuries spin their heads around, if meg whitman buys this state for a term or two, it wont be the first time we've had the enemy try and subjugate the masses... like redwoods, we just keep standing, while wannabes come and go...
Excuse me everytone. Why is this illegal in our country right now (oh she dropped a baby)? She is the one who broke the law and needs to be deported. Let's get some common sense about this whole thing and see it for what it is....political manipulation.
Hey S,
Don't ask the other states and the Federal Government to bail you out for your delusional analysis! What did you smoke today?
Another MAJOR double standard of HATRED here from MSNBC....
MSNBC DEMANDS that America HATE Meg Whitman for unknowingly allowing an illegal immigrant to work in her house....
But, where is MSNBC's article DEMANDING that America HATE Colin Powell, who publicly announced last week that he currently and knowingly has ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS working at HIS HOUSE performing construction work....
America knows that MSNBC will NEVER direct their HATE ATTACKS toward LIBERAL OBAMA SUPPORTERS !!!
I watch all of the networks and I find that MSNBC, NBC, CNN, ABC and CBS is much like Allan Grayson (have you seen is ppolitical ad? --- you have to watch Fox to see it- the other networks don't show it because it is is right out of their playbooks) in Orlando.....they cherry pick to imply the opposite of what is the truth. Watching Morning Joe this morning I had to just shake my head on the deliberate misleading quips and snips to imply there liberal agenda. Fox at least will show both sides and not mask their agenda...they are blunt both ways that lean more Conservative but they are truthful about it and not dishonest. No wonder they are voted over and over as the most reliable network in news and that is why Obama and the Democrats demonize them....That is why the liberal media continues to loose market share with their assumption as with the country club Democrats and Republicans (career politicians) that the public is stupid. The public is tired of the misleading and purposely leaving out news worthy events in their proper context and the ppolitical establishment in both parties. It is no accident that the public is rejecting them all and it is no accident that there are the low percent of Kool-aid drinkers on both sides. I am ready for a change back to principles upon what this country was founded on and I want term limits for our politicians and to stop the "jerry-man districting" and have true representation with no perks...(politicians need to bring there own health care plans with them, no pensions, just a salary based on the balancing of the budget) Enough is enough!
If it's okay for Colin Powell to employ illegals to work for him, why is it not okay for Meg? This is nothing but the left trying to demonize and obstruct her campaign with lies and lawsuits - it's what they do best. She only hired someone to do the job that you lazy lefties refuse to do. Keep collecting the welfare though!
California is a dump with really stupid voters. You get what you deserve. Don't be asking the other states to help you out with $$ - you can't budget and fix your own state, tuff. Here's an IOU! LOL!!!
A bit strange that the maid stayed for nine (9) years if conditions were so terrible?
Also a bit "strange" that she was fired in June 2009 and only NOW is tracked down by media-ho Allred?
My thoughts exactly! Just another liberal out to get the "rich white woman."
The housekeeper signed documents and falsified information. Stole a SS number. She should be thrown in jail and DEPORTED immediately. It's the LAW.
If the conditions were that bad, why did she stay on for 9 years? She knew she was getting paid well by that "nasty rich white lady" and she was going to cash in one day. I guess today's the day, huh? Gloria Allred is more than happy to help once she gets her head out of Oblamer's ass.
DEPORT ALL ILLEGALS and clean your own damn toilets. Geesh.
The housekeeper signed documents and falsified information. Stole a SS number. She should be thrown in jail and DEPORTED immediately. It's the LAW.
If the conditions were that bad, why did she stay on for 9 years? She knew she was getting paid well by that "nasty rich white lady" and she was going to cash in one day. I guess today's the day, huh? Gloria Allred is more than happy to help once she gets her head out of Oblamer's ass.
DEPORT ALL ILLEGALS and clean your own damn toilets. Geesh.
Jerry Brown back as governor of CA. How cool is that going to be??
he's a good man.
He might be a good man, but he was and is the same failed attitude of California's fiscal nightmare. How cool is that? Maybe you in NY can bail California out???? Oh...that's right, you seem to have the same problem in NY too....How cool is that???? I am sure you are a good man too Rob...Cool.....
cool.
Why did Meg Whitman cross the road? To hire an illegal.
How many conservatives does it take to screw in a light bulb? One. Meg Whitman who hires an illegal to do it.
Having grown up in Texas, I am very familiar with "good right-wingnut Republicans" hiring wetbacks to: clean their houses, care for their children, mow their lawns and perform any other task they would rather not do. When their found out, these lily-white GOPers claim to not have known that the non-English speaking help they hired was an illegal. Whitman just got caught. Any pretense on her part of surprise, outrage, etc is a boldface lie!
Imagine if Meg Whitman used the $100 million she has wasted on her election bid to create jobs. Isn't that the republican talking point? WHERE ARE THE JOBS YOU CREATED MEG?
Lets see first she sneaks in to the US - first law broken, then we have a false social security card - second law broken, the we have a false drivers license -third law broken, then she fills out papers stating she was here legally-fourth law broken. Then she has a child at taxpayers expense no doubt. How many laws is she allowed to break? We are now asked to believe her. Get a life.
Oh and then we have the present administration wanting amnesty for those who break the law. What's new? Holder and Obama have decided that only whites will be prosecuted and not blacks if there is any intimidation at the polls. LOL Should I take all day and write all the laws broken by this administration and congress the violation of our Constitution that they took an oath to obey. What a joke and they are surprised that the public is now 70%+ against them????
Salsa,
Where are the jobs the Dems have created? It is time to stop all this progressive, socialistic entitlements and pensions for the unions and government officials we can not support. Give the tax incentives to the small business people and get government out of the way and let the way and let them grow the economy to hire and expand. Go to a Fair Tax program, get the loop holes out and get accountability in place with term limits. Get a national ID Card and set up a program that we can hire people from Mexico or where ever but have them accounted for and not illegal. I have respect for those who follow the laws of our country and not for the ones who don't. Quite obiously we need a better system so that people who benefit from our country pay their way to support their visit here. If they want to become a citizen, there is a system in place for that and we need to stop being taken advantage of.
Meg Whitman beat the help at eBay, didn't pay her illegal help at home, and even the CEO at eBay won't endorse her. Plus she runs ads that are blatant lies, and when confronted with the truth, states she will continue to run the ads, regardless. And finally, I'd rather have Jerry with his almost bald head then Mad Meg and her bad comb over. What's up with that?
But let me tell you a little factoid from a buddy of mine who worked at Walt Disney the same time Meggie did. It seems that Meg only showed up at functions to take the credit for it. The people who did the work would ask themselves as Mad Meg stood at the podium spouting off " Who the hell is THAT?"
LOL! Thanks for the laugh today!
The borderline criminal Democrat forces will stop at nothing in their attempts to smear candidates especially when it looks like they will likely lose.
Except that Jerry is 4-7 points ahead of Mad Meg. Nice try. Our votes can't be bought Meggie. You're SOL here in California, go back under whatever rock you crawled out from under with the rest of your thieving carpetbagging scallywags and scoundrels.
The only thing this illegal immigrant and most likely working using someones stolen identity (identity theft) deserves is some time in jail and a free bus ride to the border.
OK, once again, as anyone with any experience with human resources knows, it doesn't matter that a potential employee submits false documentation (you would be surprised, I think, to know how frequently this happens, even for citizens.. false birth certificates to get around age requirements, false SSNs to stop criminal background checks, phony degrees, you name it) or that a recruitment agency claims to have reviewed that false documentation, it is still the employer's legal obligation to check. It is also the employer's legal obligation to follow requirements (which include a valid SSN for the employee) once the person is hired, for insurance, etc., in which case the phony SSN would get flagged with a "no-match" letter almost immediately.
As a corporate executive, eMeg would've known that. I'm middle management (non-HR) and I know that. My execs know that as well. In fact, it's the one HR gospel that everybody knows and for which they are no (legal) exceptions and absolutely no ambiguity. This isn't a mystery or something eMeg could possibly have overlooked. The only way for a legitimate employer to fail to comply with these procedures would be through willful intent.
I can accept that this might happen for someone who isn't a Fortune 500 exec. A beleaguered housewife might not know the law or, more likely, might be inclined to ignore it in order to get cheap help, but eMeg isn't that. She isn't an overly busy single fixed-income mom trying to make ends up by taking shortcuts with her hired childcare while she tries to hang onto her job. She's a CEO, and she could very easily picked up the phone and called her own HR director to find out what she needed to do in hiring her maid even if, by some utterly unbelievable miracle, she didn't know what she needed to know herself. She's a billionaire, running on a platform of corporate responsibility, and, specifically, on a platform (as clearly stated on her website) of holding employers responsible for hiring illegals...at least for the rest of us
But then Meg would have gotten in trouble if she used her Corporate HR person to look up information for her personal life. Either way, Meg is screwed by the broken system.
Democrats want to grant amnesty for illegals, but when they get jobs in order to pay their bills, Democrats turn it around to blame the people hiring them.
The double standard is SO obvious. I guess the Dems just want to grant amnesty to illegals and get them on the welfare payroll, free healthcare, food stamps, mortgages they will never pay for, etc, right?
Then don't blame Republicans when the huge ponzi scheme against taxpaying Americans fails...
I think that's unfair.. as well as dead wrong.
No, Meg would not have gotten in trouble had she called her HR person for advice. This is NOT a Dem vs Republican issue. Zoe Baird, a liberal Dem, was forced to withdraw her candidacy for US AG over EXACTLY this same charge - that she hired illegals for household help by failing to check on their status as she was legally obligated to do. She lost her job for it, and I fail to see why eMeg should be treated any differently just because she's a Republican and Baird was a liberal and a Dem. So where's the double standard here? I bet Repubilcans were all for Baird losing her job, and are now all for defending eMeg for doing the same thing? Sorry, it just doesn't work that way. Just as Baird was forced to withdraw her candidacy, eMeg should have to do precisely the same thing. If she was half the person Baird was, she would give a press conference today announcing that she is dropping out of the race. Unfortuantely, she's not, so she'll press on despite her obvious failure, as a candidate and as a citizen.
Look, I'm personally more interested in halting illegal immigration than I am whether a Dem or a Republican gets elected my governor. The fact is that the main cause of illegal immigration is the American employers who hire them. Without such people, like eMeg and Baird, there would be no illegals. They would stop coming if only eMeg and people like her follow the same laws I and every other legitimate, law-abiding manager does, and stop hiring them. Elsewhere on these baords, I've written that employers who hire illegals should be treated the same way as drug dealers (since they facilitate human trafficking the same way dealers facilitate drug trafficking), and all you Republicans were very much on my side when I said that. Interesting how they other shoe drops doesn't it?
Gloria Allred...another bitch that is always getting in the way.