As Republicans appear poised to steal the Democrat’s majority in November, it seems predictable to expect a variety of controversies to unfold as a result of last-minute attempts to discredit the Republican Party. The latest involves allegations made by illegal immigrant Nicky Diaz Santillan against California’s Republican gubernatorial candidate, Meg Whitman.
According to Santillan, Whitman employed Santillan as a housekeeper despite knowing that she was an illegal immigrant. However, Santillan alleges that once Whitman elected to run for Governor last year, Whitman decided to act upon Santillan’s illegal status.
Santillan claims that she felt exploited, disrespected, humiliated, and emotionally and financially abused.
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Santillan is represented by attorney Glorida Allred, whose clients often include mistresses, starlets, and women claiming to be wronged. According to Seer Press News, this is Allred’s second last-minute attempt to attack a Republican candidate. The move mirrors the 2003 lawsuit filed against then Republican candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Whitman’s attorney Tom Hiltachk asserts Santillans’ statements are inaccurate. This person was initially hired by Meg Whitman in November 2000. She filled out standard [Internal Revenue Service] forms and Department of Justice forms and presented her Social Security card and California driver’s license. She filled out immigration forms that stated penalty of perjury that she was a lawful resident.
Whitman’s campaign team has called the undocumented worker’s case a clearly coordinated political attack by attorney Glorida Allred, labor unions, and Jerry Brown’s campaign.
However, conservative pundit Michelle Malkin explains, The housekeeper says Whitman knew her illegal status in 2003 or 2005, when the Social Security Administration sent a red-flag no-match letter. Whitman didn’t fire her until 2009, when she decided to run for office, according to her housekeeper. Yes Glorida Allred is a crapweasel. But an SSN no-match letter usually speaks for itself. And if Whitman did in fact receive the no-match letter in 2003/2005, her credibility goes out the window.
Whitman and her husband, Griffith Harsh, assert that they were not notified by Social Security officials.
Whitman’s spokesman Rob Stutzman has attempted to refocus the public’s attention on Santillan’s attorney. We love having Glorida Allred as a foil because people know she’s everything they hate about the legal system.
Whitman has also tried to cast the spotlight on her opponent, Jerry Brown, whom she believes to be behind the scandal. According to the LA Times:
Meg Whitman accused the Brown campaign of being behind the housekeeper dust-up, saying she had heard a report from Bay Area television reporter Randy Shandobil that he was contacted about the matter two weeks ago. Sterling Clifford, a spokesman for Jerry Brown, said he had spoken with Shandobil and others about rumors he heard that Whitman had hired undocumented workers. But he said the campaign had no knowledge of Diaz Santillan’s case until the story broke Wednesday.
Mike Murphy, adviser to Meg Whitman, also accuses Brown of playing a role in the illegal housekeeper scandal. It’s some sleazy old political trick from a sleazy old politician.
However, Malkin believes that the scandal could negatively impact Whitman’s campaign. The California Republican Party has already had its share of open-borders debacles. The scandal will only serve to spotlight Whitman’s politically expedient flip-flops and double-talk on immigration.
There’s a long history of candidates and nominees torpedoed over their failures to cross the t’s and dot the i’s at home.
Murphy seems unconcerned by the revelations, however, indicating that they will not affect Whitman’s support from Latino voters. They care about jobs and we’ve been in that community communicating for a year trying to earn their support every day.
Photo of Meg Whitman: AP Images
