Whitman Goes on Defense About Ex-Maid's Status; Gloria Allred Promises to Prove Otherwise

On ABC's Good Morning America today, California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman issued an "absolute unequivocal denial" that she had at any point received information regarding her housekeeper's status as an undocumented citizen, and alluded to her suspicion that Jerry Brown's campaign may have been involved with accusations indicating otherwise.

Whitman's former housekeeper, Nicky Diaz Santillan, accused Whitman on Tuesday of cruel treatment and knowingly employing her illegally. She also alleged that Whitman and her husband received letters from the Social Security Administration indicating a "mismatch" in the identification number the woman had supplied - serving as a clear indicator that it was false.

"We never received those letters," Whitman told GMA's George Stephanopoulos in an interview. "When we hired Nicky we used an employment agency. Nicky provided her social security card, a California drivers license, she filled out a 1099 - because we told the employment agency, we have to hire people only who are documented to work here. So we had no idea that she was not here legally."

Gloria Allred, who is representing Diaz Santillan, appeared after Whitman on the show and promised that today she would be producing as evidence a 2003 Social Security Administration letter indicating a mismatch involving Diaz's Social Security number. "Today at noon in my office, we are going to produce that letter," Allred said, adding that Diaz Santillan had found several similar letters from the Social Security Administration - often in the trash - over the course of her nine years of service for Whitman and her husband.

"What this shows is total hypocrisy on her part, that she's denying that she received [the letter]," Allred said of Whitman, alleging that Diaz Santillan had also told the candidate and her husband that she could not leave the country. "Meg Whitman and her husband should have known - she should have known - that this was an undocumented worker working for them."

"Ultimately, when she terminated [Nicky] it wasn't because she was undocumented - it was because she was asking to be legalized," Allred said. "That would mean that the fact she had hired... an undocumented worker would become public; it would be politically embarrassing."

When asked if Whitman thought Jerry Brown could have a hand in these allegations, which were brought to light yesterday afternoon in a highly-publicized press conference with Diaz Santillan and Allred, Whitman said she "wouldn't be surprised if there was a fair amount of coordination here."

Will Housekeeper Allegations Hurt Whitman Campaign?
Whitman Goes on Defense About Ex-Maid's Status; Gloria Allred Promises to Prove Otherwise
Meg Whitman's Housekeeper Dilemma
Meg Whitman Housekeeper Nicky Diaz Santillan Claims Mistreatment, Unfair Termination

"Gloria Allred has been associated with Jerry Brown since the early 80s," she said. "She's contributed to his campaign; she's a well-known Democrat, and Gloria does this just about every election cycle... I think [Nicky] is being manipulated and I feel terribly for her."

Allred brushed off the accusation, saying that "no one from Jerry Brown's campaign has contacted me, I haven't contacted them."

"As far as my client goes, Nicky doesn't know anyone in politics...The only person she knows in politics is Meg Whitman and Meg Whitman is the one who has political motivation to lie and she has the agenda to try to cover this up."

"I think it's actually very patronizing and condescending [for Whitman] to think that a housekeeper would not want to have a voice," Allred added.

Critical Contests: Interactive Map with CBS News' Election 2010 Race Ratings

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Lucy Madison is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of her posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.

[sharonhigman]

Funny how Gloria Allred comes forward at this time. Hasn't she done this before? Really, the housekeeper was hired through an agency. Maybe Gloria should go after them. I think Gloria has gone too far this time. She is becoming another Sharpton and King full of S---. Gloria must be a very bitter woman. The last few times I have seen her on TV she talks like one. I bet her daughter is embarrased. Gloria give up your glory days are over.

[sharonhigman]

Funny how Gloria Allred come forward at this time. Hasn't she done this before. Really the housekeeper was hired through an agency. Maybe Gloria should go after them. I think Gloria has gone too far this time. She is becoming another Sharpton and King full of S---. Gloria must be a very bitter woman. The last few times I have seen her on TV she talks like one. I bet her daughter is embarrased. Gloria give up your glory days are over.

[dmanloc]

Jerry Brown is a career Goverment work. He is 72 years old time to retire. This is the problem with the whole goverment it is full of people who are to old and their idea's reflect this. They do not understand that a Budget is to show how the money is spent not just something to do.

[dmanloc]

I have not decided on either Gov Canidate. However I have a few questions about Meg and her Housekeeper. If she was sent by a service and gave them a Drivers Lic and a SS# is it not their job to check it out not Whitmans. Also the letter was sent in 2003 and given to the housekeeper why did she not come clean at that time. The housekeeper is comin forward now why does she realizes she can be sent to jail for lieing or deported, What is in it for her. She gave false Docs and got away with it. Who is at fault I think she is.

[superdem1]

You Republicans are willing to place the blame everywhere but where it belongs. You blame the employment agency, you blame the poor housekeeper, you blame Gloria Allred, you blame Jerry Brown. Why won't you blame the woman who would be Governor of California ? If you were going to run for Governor on an anti-illegal immigrant platform, and your own housekeeper of nine years is obviously a foreigner, wouldn't you make damned sure everyone's papers were in order ? Would you take some employment agency's word ? If you were campaigning on good government, efficiency, and best business practices, would you be so careless to abandon due diligence, and just trust everyone's word ? This millionaire could have hired investigators, I'm sure she has lawyers of her own. Stop calling Gloria Allred and Jerry Brown names, and look at the facts. Your Republican candidate is either a liar or a complete idiot, there's no other choice. I'm no Allred fan, but she is doing everyone a favor - you are finding out about this woman BEFORE you elect her, not after.

[lostcauses]

So, superdem1, has it been a while since you've had a job? Meg posted the employment papers on the web yesterday, showing all of the disclosure made to her by Nicky. By law, Meg asked for and examined what she is required to do by law. The same law prohibits discrimination against things like "obviously a foreigner". So, superdem1, how long has it been since you've applied for a job? Should we discriminate against Obama in 2012? He is "obviously black". You are the worst kind of racist!

[superdem1]

The fact is that the Republican candidate for Governor of California, running on an anti-illegal alien platform, is accused of knowingly employing an illegal alien for nine years. That's the fact. Presented with the fact, Republicans are making excuses for their candidate, and demeaning the motives of those bringing the charges. If Republicans had any principles they would demand that their candidate come clean and resign if it is true. Of course they can't do that without losing the election, which is the only thing important to them. They have no principles, they have no sense of justice, they are not even committed to their own platform. Meg Whitman knew before she started running, knew every time she gave a speech on illegal immigration, knew over and over that she had done the very thing she preached against. How could she have done that ? Does anyone really believe she could employ someone for nine years and not know about their status ? She's supposed to be this great, competent businesswoman who gets things done the right way, who's going to put California right. She's either guilty of the worst form of hipocracy, or she's stupid to the max. She's either a supreme liar or an idiot who let herself be played like a fiddle by a housekeeper. But Republicans are not interested in facts, they are not interested in integrity in government, they are interested in POWER. As an American, I thank Gloria Allred for bringing the truth to the people of California so they can cast an informed vote. I would want her to do the same if it were Jerry Brown's housekeeper.

[lostcauses]

Well superdem1, since you are so brilliant, why didn't you think about the timing of this disclosure. If the 2003 letter had been real, then Jerry Brown and Gloria Allred have had seven years to bring this forward. Nicky was fired in June of 2009, so even by that, the Democrat machine has had more than a year to bring this up. Why now ... 30 or so days before the election. If you don't believe this is all about Jerry Brown, then you are too naive to accuse, judge or otherwise have a credible opinion concerning Meg Whitman's actions. Another thing, the coddling of illegals in this country for the purpose of holding onto Latino votes is traditionally a Democrat play. If you are all about principles ... right and wrong, then how can you be a super Democrat in the first place. That is the party of amorality. Illegal immigrants means, wait for it, ILLEGAL. So, what part of illegal is principled. You can't hold someone else to a higher standard than you hold yourself and remain credible ... isn't that the definition of hypocrisy ... hypocrite!

[Doctor_Bones]

These rich eletists all think they are above the laws of the land, the laws are for the Little people. If they lie to us before they even get elected thats bad, but if we elect them after they lie to us thats really bad. The people get the kind of representation that they deserve.

[jsilver2th]

If she's so stupid not to know the worker's status she's to stpid to be governor

[mariannpepit]

If Whitman hired her thru an Agency then the Agency is responsible for this woman's background not Meg. And Brown's attorney has to be stupid not to know that. Brown is losing in the polls so his attorney decided to take action against Whitman. Brown is too old to be governor.

[lostcauses]

jsilverth, you obviously received your education here in California. Please take note ... correctly written, it should be "too stupid to be governor." This is one of the reasons Meg is running for governor.

[rwassel]

It all really hinges on whether a letter or letters were sent to her. If there were letters sent informing Whitman of her status, then it's pretty cut-and-dry.

[nehicks]

If this woman was hired through an employment agency, why isn't the agency getting in trouble for using a worker that they had to know was illegal? Companies need to be held liable for hiring illegal aliens. I don't care if Ms. Whitman is Republican or Democrat, as I can't vote for her, but, why isn't Mr. Colin Powell up in front of the media trying to explain what he did? It's the same that Ms. Whitman is being accused of. Talk about a double standard.

[rwassel]

I agree - but if they were, you'd see about 100,000 small businesses close their doors.