Sandoval Accused of Hiring an Undocumented Worker

One more Republican to add to the list of hard-line illegal immigration critics being accused of employing undocumented workers: A Nevada woman claims Brian Sandoval, the GOP’s nominee for governor, failed to ask her for her papers when she worked as a maid for his family. (At the time she was living in the U.S. illegally, but she has since obtained citizenship.) Sandoval’s campaign denied the claim and said the candidate had never met the woman.

Either way, it could be bad news for Sandoval, a Latino candidate who has argued for harsh penalties on employers that hire undocumented workers. He joins California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman (R) and political commentator Lou Dobbs, both fellow advocates of tougher anti-illegal immigration laws, in what seems to be the scandal du jour.

If it is true, of course, Sandoval would not be the only person in the U.S. to hire undocumented workers. As I mentioned before, illegal immigrants make up a large proportion — about 27 percent — of the maids and housekeepers in the U.S.