Andrew Puzder, President Trump’s choice to lead the Labor Department, hired an undocumented immigrant to be his maid, he admitted in a bombshell statement that could sink his nomination.
“My wife and I employed a housekeeper for a few years, during which I was unaware that she was not legally permitted to work in the U.S.,” a spokesman for Puzder, the former CEO of the company that owns Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., said Monday.
“When I learned of her status, we immediately ended her employment and offered her assistance in getting legal status. We have fully paid back taxes to the IRS and the State of California and submitted all required paperwork.”
The unnamed woman turned down Puzder’s offer “in getting legal status” because she feared she’d be detained and deported, the Huffington Post reported.
The mea culpa could doom Puzder’s nomination, as similar revelations have sunk cabinet nominations in the past.
President Clinton’s first two nominations for attorney general — Zoe Baird and Kimba Wood — withdrew themselves for considerations for the job after it was revealed both had hired illegal aliens to provide nanny help.
President Trump made illegal immigration a cornerstone of his presidential campaign.
Puzder’s Senate confirmation was scheduled for Tuesday, but has been postponed.
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