Meg Whitman and the Scarlet Letter

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 10/1/10 | Debra J. Saunders

[SmithL]

Gloria Allred produced a copy of 2003 letter that she said proved that Meg Whitman is a liar who knew that she had hired an illegal immigrant as her housekeeper.

I highly recommend that people read the letter.

Yes, includes a note from husband Griffith Harsh to Diaz that read: "Nicky, please check this, thanks." But it is not a smoking gun.

For one thing, it told Whitman and Harsh that Nicandra Diaz Santillan's Social Security number did not match her name, but it also stated, "This letter does not imply that you or your employee intentionally provided incorrect information about the employee's name or SSN. It is not a basis, in and of itself, for you to take any adverse action against the employee, such as layoff off, suspending, firing or discriminating against the individual. Any employer that uses the information in this letter to justify taking action against an employee may violate state or federal law and be subject to legal consequences."

[SmithL]

[RobRoy]

Site requires a password.

[Cementjungle]

The site with the “letter” is now password protected.

[television is just wrong]

allred’s staff is insane they hang up on you. bad phone manners. they don’t care about the maid, they only care about winning brown the election. I am voting for Meg because of allred.

[MissesBush]

In fact if I got such a letter I’d be afraid to take much if any action against the employee in question based on all the threats of criminal penalties if you do. Allred’s big claim of Whitman lying is a letter from 7 1/2 years ago there’s no evidence she saw nor even if she had would have had any reason to remember? Get back in the clown car Gloria. Epic fail for you sister.

[aruanan]

It should be called "Gloria Allred Jumps the Shark." There is nothing in that letter indicative of any illegal or potentially illegal status. Furthermore, the recipient of the letter is instructed that taking any adverse action against the employee based on the letter can result in prosecution under state and federal laws. The most the employer can do is ask the employee to verify the SS number. He cannot even ask to see the SS card. This letter is from 2002. A few questions follow:

1. What was Nicky doing holding onto this thing for 7 years until the time she confessed her illegal status to her employers, resulting in her becoming unemployed?

2. What happened to other letters sent during the 7 years?

3. Who got the mail during the intervening 7 years?

4. How could Gloria maintain with a straight face (well, it may be possible with botox) that a letter that states it makes no implications of the employee's immigration status is incontrovertible proof that Meg and husband knew of Nicky's illegal status before 2009 and lied about it?

[skeeter]

Just when you think the smearing, lying liberal scum couldn’t stoop any lower.

[sappy]

her own firms website says the following:

“Due Diligence / Careful Screening: Our experience allows us to determine merit before engaging in lengthy negotiations with employers. Doing our homework gives us the edge when we engage an employer and attempt a resolution. Our reputation and success in the courtroom lets our opponents know that we are serious at all times.”

gleen what you will........

[Shermy]

“they don’t care about the maid”

Worse, they are subjecting her to increased scrutiny. How does the INS not go after her now? They went after Obama’s aunt.

Recently there was the polygamists who had a TV show...now they are being charged with crimes. They would have been ignored if they did not flaunt it.

[upcountryhorseman]

This is clearly a political “hatchet job”. It would have been more appropriate if they had made a fuss over some
people in big “O’s” cabinet owing back taxes.

[aruanan]

gleen what you will........

Politics won out over due diligence/careful screening?

[Shermy]

Think of it this way,

Allred stands in front of the television and says, “This is my client, she is a criminal”

When has that ever happened before?

I would change my mind if Whitman dropped the dime on the maid to the INS, but there is absolutely no indication the maid was any law enforcement investigation.

[aruanan]

This letter is from 2002.

The letter is for the tax year 2002.

[sappy]

they carefully looked at the net-worth and postion of the former employer and in addition to a political hatchet job, hoped to get a settlement that would have been big hush money.

[wiggen]

Plenty of idiots leaving comments there. They seem to think Megs guilty for having been conned and they won’t take any other interpretation of the story. San Francisco,land of morons. I cannot wait till the next congress is in and they come begging for another handout next year. When the answer is NO is when we will find out just how committed these libs are to the cause of illegal immigrants.

[Oceander]

Just how stupid does Allred think people are? I can read for myself, and this language:

“Any employer that uses the information in this letter to justify taking action against an employee may violate state or federal law and be subject to legal consequences”

Tells me, in no uncertain terms, that Whitman had no choice but to keep the woman employed - because if she hadn’t that letter would have been exhibit #1 in an employment discrimination suit - until and unless she had other, objective evidence that the woman was an illegal.

More likely than not, what happened was this: Whitman or one of her staffers asked the woman if there was a problem with her SSN, and probably got back a song and dance about how she changed her name and the change wasn’t matched to her SSN properly, or there was a typo, or some other stupid, but non-disprovable, excuse.

[Walts Ice Pick]

Those are great questions, but Gloria and her illegal alien aren't running for office. The political implications are more important to me:

Don't you think that Jerry Brown's campaign will rely upon the way in which Meg allegedly dismissed this illegal ("I don't know you and you don't know me") to damage Meg's standing with hispanics?

Don't you think that Brown's campaign will also use this incident to damage Meg's standing with conservatives by encouraging people to consider the following question: If a conservative discovers that for several years she has been inadvertantly harboring, supporting, aiding and abetting an illegal alien and that she inadvertantly assisted that illegal alien's perpetration of a fraud, what should the conservative do? Shouldn't she have notified the authorities?

[Walts Ice Pick]

Those are great questions, but Gloria and her illegal alien aren't running for office. The political implications are more important to me:

Don't you think that Jerry Brown's campaign will rely upon the way in which Meg allegedly dismissed this illegal ("I don't know you and you don't know me") to damage Meg's standing with hispanics?

Don't you think that Brown's campaign will also use this incident to damage Meg's standing with conservatives by encouraging people to consider the following question: If a conservative discovers that for several years she has been inadvertantly harboring, supporting, aiding and abetting an illegal alien and that she inadvertantly assisted that illegal alien's perpetration of a fraud, what should the conservative do? Shouldn't she have notified the authorities?

[wiggen]

I hope INS comes down like a ton of bricks on Nicky,especially for the false documents. I want to hear Allred defend herself when the illegal is being led off to prison.