Meg Whitman Says Ex-Maid's Allegations are "Completely Untrue," Blame Jerry Brown's Campaign

Updated: 3:55pm ET

In a news conference this afternoon, Republican California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman denied allegations that she knowingly employed an illegal immigrant as a housekeeper, calling the accusations "a baseless smear attack," and adding that "there is very clear evidence that this is Brown-motivated," referring to her Democratic opponent, Jerry Brown.

"First of all, make no mistake: these allegations are completely untrue," Whitman said.

Whitman has come under fire recently after Nicky Diaz Santillan, a former housekeeper, made allegations that the billionaire was aware her employee was an undocumented immigrant, and that Whitman had received a 2003 letter from the U.S. Social Security Administration questioning the legitimacy of her housekeeper's citizenship.

Gloria Allred, Diaz Santillan's lawyer, held a news conference later in the afternoon where she unveiled what she claimed was that letter, claiming it as proof that Whitman had been "exposed as a liar and a hypocrite."

"I don't know who's paying Gloria Allred," Whitman said, but asserted her belief that the accusations against her were "absolutely linked to the Brown campaign."

"I don't know what was Nicky's decision," Whitman continued. "Did someone come to her house and say, 'We know you're here illegally and were going to expose you unless you do this with Gloria Allred'? I think you all should ask the question of exactly how this occurred... I think that Nicky had a gun to her head."

Whitman denied allegations that she had received any letter from the U.S. Social Security Administration, and added that that if one existed it "somehow it ended up in Jerry Brown's hands or in Gloria Allred's hands."

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Whitman also noted the possibility that her former housekeeper could have intercepted the letter.

"It pains me to say that," said Whitman, who emphasized several times throughout the course of the press conference that she had considered Diaz Santillan like a member of her extended family. But she added that if Diaz Santillan had been made aware that her citizenship status was under investigation, "she might have been on the lookout for that letter."

When questioned about Diaz Santillan's claims that Whitman had treated her cruelly during her tenure in the family's home, the former eBay CEO said that such accusations were "completely untrue" and that outside influences were at play.

California Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, with her husband Griff Harsh, talks to reporters in Santa Monica, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010.

/ AP Photo/Reed Saxon

"Those weren't Nicky's words," Whitman said of the remarks her former employee delivered on Wednesday. "She is being used by cynical people with a selfish agenda... I think she's been manipulated by a very sophisticated attorney who has done this for a living over the last 20 years... I think Jerry Brown should be ashamed of what his allies have tried to do here."

"We had a very good relationship with Nicky," Whitman continued. "Her children came over to our house... Nicky and her boys often played soccer in our back yard... Her little boys used to come over and play with our mini schnauzer."

When asked why, then, Whitman hadn't helped Diaz Santillan gain citizenship upon her admission that she was in the country illegally, Whitman said she "had lied to us for nine years."

Whitman, the billionaire former CEO of eBay who has so far spent more than $100 million of her own money on the campaign, is currently locked in a dead heat with Democrat Jerry Brown in the California Governor's race.

Diaz Santillan worked for Whitman and her husband for nine years, but was fired in 2009 when she approached Whitman about her immigration status and asked for help becoming a U.S. citizen.

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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.

[PatriotMike2]

Can we deport this fraud of a maid now? And Allred while we're at it?

[anebt]

The I-9 verification process that the temp agency (not Whitman or any other customer) is a cosmic joke. I have employees fill them all the time. They present usually a driver's license and original social security card. However, they can also present papers that can easily--very easily--be forged. We, as employers, by law CANNOT look at these too closely. We are supposed to take these papers at FACE VALUE. What is the point of the I-9 anyway? If someone wants to beat the system he can go to forgers that are everywhere and get whatever they need. A stronger system is needed.

Needless to say that workers for a temp agency do not have to present evidence of any authority to work legally in the country. The temp agency's hands are tied with false documents that cant be checked too carefully and must betaken at face value. Most of you readers are not employers. We go through this nonsense of not being able to question paperwork authenticity all the time.

[anebt]

Needless to say that workers for a temp agency do not have to present evidence of any authority to work legally in the country.--I meant they don't have to present evidence to any customers. The customer is not the employee--the temp agency is.

[Control-Freaks]

Hey quietfireII, I think, "**** You" fits in really good right about here. You want to judge before knowing the facts, and so far, the facts are that Meg Whitman had no reason to question this ILLEGAL ALIEN'S documentation because she had already worked for the employment agency that originally hired her, so it was safe to assume that her documentation was legit. But as any other ILLEGAL BEANER, they always open up their fat mouth and reveal the truth in time. And in that time, the ILLEGAL ALIEN was FIRED. Go figure ey?

[pasha128]

Yes -- the letter Mr Whitman admits to attaching a post-it note to.

[truth-b-toll]

WOW, and i thought that jan Brewer was UGLY!

[digdeepernow]

If Meg Whitman felt her housekeeper was like an extended family member when she went to Ms Whitman and told her the truth about her illegal status, why didn't Ms Whitman take a little bit of her billion dollars and give it to her extended family member to help her reestablish herself as a Mexican citizen where she could start a new life for her family. Simply firing her extended family member reflects badly on Ms. Whitman's interpretation of what the word family means, even when it is extended. The larger questions that should be put to MS Whitman are:

Ms. Whitman, what did you do to help your housekeeper when she asked you for help, other than fire her and send her away?

Ms. Whitman, what does the term extended family member mean to you, and what responsibility do you think you have to support those you consider your extended family members?

[RobAla]

IF she were to give this woman a bunch of money, what would ensure that she would return to Mexico and stay there? If you were to find out that someone had lied to you for 9 years, and had put you in a bad legal position (possibly impacting your career)- would you want to give this person money? This illegal immigrant should feel lucky that Whitman didn't turn the woman in. It showed compassion, that she did not.

[RobAla]

If this isn't a political hack job, I don't know what is. Whitman hired a Latino woman who lied and presented false papers for 9 years, paying her 3 times the minimum wage - then when she found out the woman was here illegally, she had to let her go. Whitman would have been breaking the law to knowingly hire an illegal immigrant. What is the deal here?

[ge556]

She knowingly employed her illegally since at least 2003, fired her for political reasons, and is now lying about it.

TruthTeller

[noloyalisti]

Quit defending a Republican. She is an arrogant rich and uncaring moron. The entire Republican Party is a criminal enterprise in bed with big corporations to take over the planet by any mean necessary.

The Republican Party of Death and Spending is obsolete and should be disbanded before they kill again.

[Control-Freaks]

Meg Whitman did not hire this ILLEGAL. The employment agency that Meg had an account with hired her. It is the responsibility of the agency to verify her status. The first red flag would have been that her name was not centered below the SS number when she present FRAUDULENT DOCUMENTS to the AGENCY THAT HIRED HER. Meg Whitman would not have received ANY documents or letters from the SSA because she DID NOT HIRE THIS WOMAN! Even if this ILLEGAL became a direct employee of Whitman's, the ILLEGAL STILL presented false documents. This is all about the CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIEN. It was the ILLEGAL ALIEN that testified UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY, through her signature, that she was a permanent legal resident and allowed to work in this country. It was NOT Meg Whitman that made these claims. You can bet your sweet butt that Meg Whitman dropped her like the PIECE OF GARBAGE THAT SHE IS, just as soon the ILLEGAL ALIEN got all comfy-cushy and spilled the beans about being an ILLEGAL ALIEN, (no pun intended). Meg Whitman has done NOTHING WRONG HERE, and as a result of all of this, we now have to look at the publicity-wh ore Allred while she prostitutes this ILLEGAL ALIEN as someone that we are supposed to have sympathy for. I'm just about as p.o.'d as Nancy Pelosi's blind date!

[quietfireII]

Control-Freak = IDIOT

[curse914]

Take it easy big fella, Meg got a cheap laborer from an inept and or corrupt hiring agency. Isn't that a win/win for both Meg and the agency?

[cameraphone]

Got to hand it to Meg. . . . Fires her illegal immigrant maid. . . . Rails against illegal immigrants as a candidate. . . . Believes her employing and then firing an illegal immigrant and her campaigning against illegal immigration is a conspiracy cooked up by Jerry Brown.

Yep, sounds like politics these days.

[P0ST1ING_AWAY]

You have had an Illegal mexican in your employ for all these years ... and you just NOW figure out this thing is not legal ???