Meg Whitman knowingly employed illegal immigrant as maid, Gloria Allred charges

A former housekeeper for Meg Whitman claims the Republican governor candidate knew she was an illegal immigrant but continued to employ her, according to her attorney Gloria Allred.

Allred said Whitman caused the worker to  "feel exploited, disrespected, humiliated, and emotionally and financially abused." The worker alleges Whitman knew she was here illegally but did not act on it until she decided to run for governor last year.

Whitman attorney Tom Hiltachk told reporters Wednesday:  "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 under penalty of perjury that she was a lawful resident."

Read full coverage on the Whitman immigration story throughout the day at PolitiCal, The Times' California politics blog.

Photo: Nicky Diaz Santillan, a former housekeeper for Meg Whitman, breakdown during a press conference at attorney Gloria Allred's office Wednesday. Credit: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times

 

Comments

[Shelley]

If Meg Whitman believed her to be a legal worker, then we can assume she did the proper tax withholding, and has the IRS forms to backup her statement. After all, her maid was her employee.

Has she provided copies of these?

[George Vateor]

Like anyone would believe Gloria Allred for God's sakes. Of course we need to think that about Whitman as well since she's lied her way through this campaign.
In the end, I think this helps Whitman or at least doesn't hurt her.

[Robert]

It would be interesting to know how is this Illegal Immigrant going to pay Gloria Allred for her services. We are not ignornant to know these illegal immigrants complain and whine and try to pretend to be victims yet they sure know how our legal system works when they want money.

[SHEILA Scotti]

GLORIA ALLRED IS A GOOD FRIEND OF BROWN; NERED I SAY MORE????

[Tom]

Pro Abortion Meg Whitman hires illegals to work for her and yet claims we should "go after" employers that hire them.

Pro abortion Meg Whitman is a hypocrite!

[javier]

I have nothing but contempt for Meg Whitman, BUT this story does nothing to advance any issue whatsoever. This is an oportunistic lawyer taking advantage of an immigrant that reinforces the negative stereotypes that anti-immigrant pundits (like Whitman) are portraying. Shame on Allred and the maid, this is going to backfire.

[Wendy]

Okay, now that we know the housekeeper is here illegally, lets arrest her and deport her. Being in the United States illegally, she has committed a crime!

[BeeVee]

I'll bet that most of the Hollywood celebrities employ people like this.

They better hope that they don't also decide to call Gloria Allred.

[Rahlf]

I will reserve my final comments until all the documentation of this situation has ben accurately reported and assessed but a this time it appears that with the injection of Gloria Allred into the equation this affair smacks greatly of a democratic "October Surprise" backed by some big monied "Progressives" AKA Soros and his minions. Personal destruction is their favorite device when ability and truth are lacking in their attempts to win an election. IF, Meg Whitman DID know of her housekeepers deception then, Good bye Meg!

[joyfuljoy]

So many republican hypocrites and so little time to the next election. Are they gonna be exposed one by one?

[rdog]

If this bird brain can't keep one illegal out of her own house, how is she going to keep them out of our State. I do not like Gloria Allred she is an opportunistic idiot but unless the sister is a twin, and they have the same name I would have to believe she had full knowledge that this women was undocumented. I mean after 9 years of interacting on a professional as well as personal level(as stated by Whitman's attorney)"she was a member of the family". So I wonder then is it really reasonable to believe after 9 years of personal interaction know one ever called this women by her real name?No child said "mommy why she calling you thea's name? If she is that dumb her time is better spent in Congress. Keep in mind Allred is known for having pretty good evidence, Generally in the form of tapes, and writings. Oh well that's politics.

[Bruno]

All of you Westside "progressives" had better pay attention here.

Gloria is about to set a landmark precedent. Those maids, nannies and gardeners that you use (that the rest of us pay for in taxes) to keep your household in ship shape will soon have the ability to sue you in court for "feel(ing) exploited, disrespected, humiliated, and emotionally and financially abused."

It's goldmine for illegal aliens and you can bet every aggrieved Latino civil rights lawyer is going to be all over this trend. Coming to a household near you.

[Pounamu]

The term Queen Meg began as a joke, but now I see that it is more and more applicable every day...

[LCOY]

This is a lie

[Linda Dusky]

Wow! I wouldn't mind being "exploited" for nine years! I have never had an employer pay me for domestic services at that rate!
I heard the woman who Whitman fired stating that when Whitman's husband entered the room and asked what was going on (the day that Whitman fired her) she said that Whitman said "She is here to tell us that she is an illegal alien"!
Sounds like they were hearing this for the first time!
Furthermore, they hired the woman through an agency. I would have assumed that the agency had already vetted her legality. As it was, this woman showed them both a driver license and social security card! It was SHE who had betrayed them for 9 years! I'd fire her too! I wasn't going to vote for Meg, but this has changed my mind!

[LCOY]

Good for Meg Whitman that she fired the illegal housekeeper as soon as she learned the documents were phony and that her children were being driven around by a woman with a phony driver's license and no insurance.

[LCOY]

Meg Whitman Housekeeper Must Have Used Phony Documents
There is a big story breaking but it is not the story attorney Gloria Allred wants to spin.

An undocumented worker worked in Meg Whitman's house after presenting phony

documents. So where did she get them and whose social security number was she using illegally?

This is the real story! How easily people lie and obtain phony documents.

The story unfolds below:

Gloria Allred held another news conference hoping to destroy another reputation.

However, it just made Gloria Allred look more like a fool when the housekeeper admitted that she lied to Whitman and that she made $ 23.00 an hour for nine years!

First of all, the housekeeper came from an agency that referred her to Whitman.

Secondly, the employment agency vetted her.

Read more about it on Deirdre McGill's Associated Content website.

[Queen Meg promised last night]

Queen Meg said "we gotta make employers reponsible for hiring illegals" - just last night in the debate !

What a hypocrite.

And Gloria Allred is no friend of Jerry Brown; she is well known to dislike him, as a matter of fact. Whatever that matters.

[Jan Hunter]

If immigratoin were easier into the US this wouldnt be an issue. It was wrong of her if she knew it but, she is interested in making sure illegals don't enter the US, so really who cares????? And, she was running a large company so I assume she had others helping her manage her household staff. Get serious. If Jerry Brown can't dig something bigger than this up, the is pretty pathetic.

[LCOY]

Meg Whitman Housekeeper Must Have Used Phony Documents
There is a big story breaking but it is not the story attorney Gloria Allred wants to spin.

An undocumented worker worked in Meg Whitman's house after presenting phony

documents. So where did she get them and whose social security number was she using illegally?

This is the real story! How easily people lie and obtain phony documents.

The story unfolds below:

Gloria Allred held another news conference hoping to destroy another reputation.

However, it just made Gloria Allred look more like a fool when the housekeeper admitted that she lied to Whitman and that she made $ 23.00 an hour for nine years!

First of all, the housekeeper came from an agency that referred her to Whitman.

Secondly, the employment agency vetted her.

READ MORE ABOUT HOW THE MAID LIED AND USED HER SISTER's ID to obtain a job.
Read more on Associated Content website
DEIRDRE MCGILL

[retired]

the people that post here have left out facts. that illegal was hired through an emplyment agency, and the illegal admitted she lied on the employment forms and forged documents..

[john]

Gloria Allred is a scammer like the housekeeper. Deport the illegal now. Just goes to show us what a scum sucker Allred is. Total bottom feeder as an attorney and a human being.

[Carol]

I usually vote democratic, but this sleazy politcal trick by Jerry Brown has convinced me to vote republican...so done with sleazy politics!!!!

[L.A. Native]

Will someone please ship that headline-seeking ambulance chaser Gloria Allred off to the Antarctic so she can take up the defense of persecuted penguins?

[Mike M]

If Meg followed the rules, paid the withholdings, etc. that's one thing but ... IF Meg received a 'no match' from SSA years ago then there's just no excuse for her. If you get a red flag from SSA that your housekeeper is an illegal then you call ICE - not act like nothing happened until you decide to run for governor.

Meg, didn't you know that to get elected as a republican you have to have your closet at least 100 times cleaner than the cleanest democrat? It doesn't matter that Geitner cheated on his own taxes, had an illegal working for him and failed to pay the worker's withholding taxes - he's a democrat!

It's just a fact of life, democrats who lie, cheat and steal get promoted or elected but republicans who are caught doing such things will suddenly find themselves on the outside looking in.