Meg Whitman's Housekeeper Dilemma

Updated: September 29, 6:30 PM ET

California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman's former housekeeper, Nicky Diaz Santillan.

/ CBS

After the dramatic press conference in which California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman's former housekeeper, Nicky Diaz Santillan, claimed that she wasn't paid her fairly and that Whitman refused help her find an immigration lawyer, the California gubernatorial candidate is caught between the proverbial rock and hard place.

Santillan's lawyer, Gloria Allred, alleged that Santillan was "exploited, disrespected, humiliated and emotionally and financially abused" by Whitman and her family.

In the press conference, Santillan and Allred claimed that Whitman was aware of her immigration status during her nine years of employment with the Whitman family, and may have understood that she was vulnerable because of it. 

Allred said that she has documents that would prove what Whitman knew when about Santillan's immigration status.

Whitman's camp denied the accusations. The candidate issued a statement, maintaining that she was unaware that Santillan was an undocumented worker. 

"After 9 years of faithful service, Nicky came to us in June 2009 and confessed that she was an illegal worker. Nicky had falsified the hiring documents and personal information she provided to the employment agency that brought her to us in 2000. Nicky told me that she was admitting her deception now because she was aware that her lie might come out during the campaign. Nicky said she was concerned about hurting my family and me."

"As required by law, once we learned she was an illegal worker, I immediately terminated Nicky's employment. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done," Whitman wrote. "I considered Nicky a friend and a part of our extended family. I am deeply worried about Nicky and her family. I believe Nicky is being manipulated by Gloria Allred for political and financial purposes during the last few weeks of a hotly contested election."

Records given to TMZ by the Whitman campaign indicate that Santillan did falsify information on her employment records.

But the issue that will turn off Hispanic and others in California considering a vote for Whitman isn't so much what she knew when, but what she did after she knew.

If Whitman considered Santillan a part of her extended family, completely washing her hands of Santillan after nine years upon hearing she was an undocumented worker can be viewed  as an uncaring billionaire trying to avoid a housekeepergate situation as she considered running for public office.

Firing Santillan, as Whitman said the law required, cutting off communication and apparently making no effort help her obtain an immigration lawyer gives Allred a license to describe Whitman's actions as "cold and heartless treatment of a hardworking Latina."

Whitman "treat me as if I was not a human being," Santillan stated, adding that the Whitman was "throwing me away like a piece of garbage."

Those words and descriptions will be difficult for Whitman to shed. She will need to address the situation, and do it in a way that doesn't further the image of her as inhumane to the plight of her nine-year employee.

So far Whitman has poured nearly $120 million of her own money to help with the governship of California. Money won't help much in escaping this emotionally-charged dilemma.

Responding to questions about Santillan's allegations following a campaign appearance Wednesday, Whitman said, "She's [Nicky] the nicest woman and did a great job....Everything Gloria Allred is saying is absolutely a lie."

[kuakalupe]

I was born in California, I love my my rights and freedom. My parents however, were born in Mexico, and I love them more. I first, consider comments left behind from rude people stereotypical. My parents have not committed any crimes in this country and have respected all rules and regulations. Do not assume all illegal people are Mexican when in reality all sorts of ethnicities come here illegally so do not dare to say "Go back to Mexico." Next, my family has worked with legal people and thankfully have not been treated like slaves. On the other hand, I know many other people who have been raped, abused, and hurt by legal citizens and are scared to speak out and seek help because they have been manipulized into thinking that they will be taken by immigration. In my fifteen years of living I can proudly say I am honored to be Chicana and have Mexican roots and no matter how much people hate us and want us to leave, they know only the poor undocumented people will break their backs working all day for nearly nothing. Ofcourse racial profiling is ignorant and stupid, just because your dark skinned and have brown hair does not necessarily mean your Mexican. Just because your Caucasaian and have blonde hair does not mean your from the U.S. I do not look completely Mexican, I continuosly get mistaken for being Hawaiian. I hope one day everyone realizes that what you claim "us" to be is wrong. I feel like whoever it was that put the earth and us in it wanted us to live freely and wherever we wanted and get along with everyone no matter what they looked like. My voice may not be heard, my voice may be laughed at, but I know what it feels like to have an undocumented mother who has been trying to receive documentation for the past 9 years and has spent over thousands of dollars working extremely hard devoting these past years to earn money and receive her green card. Do not say go back to Mexico when our whole life has been here.
That is all I have to say for now.

[Notsheeple]

Here's the true 'skinny' on this story that you won't get from MSNBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS and PBS. Sad but true! Cut & Paste the link below and make up your own mind>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/on-the-record/index.html#/v/4357012/whitman-scandal-smoking-gun-or-dirty-politics/?playlist_id=86925

[mrhellokitty]

like anyone would believe anything fox would say, I admit its fun and entertaining but its as believable and accurate as inside edition.

[jill007]

Why would she stay for 9 years, if it was sooo bad. hmmm.

[whoseu]

Interesting that she fired this housekeeper in 2009, just as she decided to run for governor of California. Is that a little too coincidental to be a coincident.....hmmmmmm?

[JimBrittTN]

ALL illegals are guilty of criminal trespassing thus should be in prison!

She was paid over $25 an hour; about 3 times the going rate for a maid!

It's the EMPLOYMENT AGENCY'S place to verify legality!

[mrhellokitty]

I own a cleaning company and the average rate is 45 dollars an hour

[gruven13777]

This teary-eyed overpaid housekeeper needs to be put in prison for identity theft.

[restelle]

I live in California - where I was born. Are you saying that it is okay to exploit these people for cheap produce?

I lived in Upstate, NY and I know lots of non Hispanic people who pick apples for a living. Are apples 100.00 each? No, they aren't.

Illegal means illegal - it used to be that illegal actions were actually a crime... what happens when we all have to refer to serial killers as "conscience challenged", or "emotionally challenged" to be "politically correct"?

I would rather pay 3 dollars for a head of lettuce than to see the many billions of dollars being spent to encourage criminal acts.

Yes, I would be happy to help my country absord the costs of having ALL illegal people removed from here.

[PabloGem]

I wish just ONE person here would explain this so called exploitation of this woman. Steady employment for 8 years at 27.00 per hour is a very good job in this economy.

[restelle]

The need to send that "thing" back to the filth from which it came. They come here, suck up all our public funding, present fake ID and social security cards, then they try to upset our political system!

This country will someday soon become just another Mexico.

[Suzanneinsantamonica]

If it were not for people from south of the border, we would be paying ten dollars for a head of lettuce and fifteen dollars for a pound of grapes. Employers have a long history of exploiting people like Meg Whitman's housekeeper for their own advantage. I live in Southern California and have seen the exploitation.

[Suzanneinsantamonica]

On the other hand, if you and your family were willing to clean toilets for minimum wage, care for children for less than minimum wage, and bend over and pick fruit while the sun is blazing for about $5 per hour.

[Suzanneinsantamonica]

Almost all Californians knows that fake drivers licenses and Social Security cards are sold cheaply for purposes of verifying employment, and that an employer who truly wants to obey the law will demand to see a green card or other document which cannot easily be faked in order to verify employment eligibility when the prospective employee is born outside this country. Meg Whitman most likely took the fake drivers license and Social Security card as cover and then looked the other way in order to get domestic help that she could exploit. It's a story all too familiar here in California. What a hypocrite she is!

[restelle]

Yes, but then again people would complain about profiling just as in Arizona. It is almost a crime to ask someone who appears Mexican to prove they are here legally. Arizona found out.

[restelle]

No, most likely, the housekeeper intercepted the letter and Meg NEVER saw it... duh...