Meg Whitman: I swear, I didn’t know the maid was illegal

Cavuto runs through the basics with her but, alas, neglects to ask about the potential smoking gun, that alleged red-flag letter sent to Whitman by the Social Security Administration several years ago warning her that Diaz’s name didn’t match her SS number. A possible explanation from one of Meg’s advisors:

Allred added that Whitman ignored correspondence sent to her home from the Social Security Administration in 2003. The letter informed her that Diaz’ Social Security number did not match her name – a red flag for an undocumented worker.

The letter asked Whitman to show that Diaz had proper documentation, Allred said, and there is no record that Whitman had responded…

Allred said that Whitman never asked Diaz for documentation and once asked whether she ever traveled to Mexico and Diaz told her employer, “I cannot travel outside the country.”…

Asked whether Whitman saw Diaz’ Social Security documentation, as Allred insisted, [Whitman advisor Rob] Stutzman said Whitman “never saw it … and guess who picked up the mail every day? (Nicky) was in control of it.”

According to the Times, the SSA stopped issuing red-flag letters in 2007 and won’t discuss letters sent before then due to confidentiality concerns. Maybe that letter is the mysterious document that Allred claims she’s holding in reserve to prove the truth of her claims? If so, er, how did she get possession of it? And was a $20/hour maid really in charge of billionaire Meg Whitman’s correspondence?

The LA Times helpfully reminds us that Allred also represented a woman who leveled a last-minute sexual harassment allegation at Schwarzenegger before the 2003 gubernatorial election. Quite a track record. Exit question: If, in firing Diaz, Whitman really wanted to ensure that “from now on you don’t know me, and I don’t know you” (as Diaz claims), why didn’t she ask her to sign some sort of confidentiality agreement in exchange for a payout? Diaz obviously had a financial incentive to run to a lawyer or to the media once she was canned. Why not eliminate that? Very strange.

Update: Commenters are objecting that Diaz wasn’t “in charge” of Whitman’s correspondence. Well, according to Stutzman, she was — for a short time, at least, but long enough to get rid of any letters she didn’t want Whitman to see. In any case, only one thing is certain, my friends: If Californians are so angry that Whitman used to employ an illegal that they’re willing to resign themselves to four more years of total control by the party that’s driven their economy off a cliff, well, good luck to ‘em.

• And now, an important message from Gov. Jerry Brown about infrastructure: “S*** happens.”
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