REUTERS/Fred Prouser
President Donald Trump’s pick for labor secretary employed an undocumented maid, The Huffington Post reports. Andrew Puzder, CEO of the fast-food chains Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., reportedly told Senate and Trump administration officials that he had hired an undocumented woman as household help. Reached for comment, Puzder told The Huffington Post that “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. 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.”
Under previous administrations, this type of admission might end a confirmation process. Two of Bill Clinton’s attorney-general picks withdrew from confirmation hearings after it was revealed that they had both hired undocumented nannies. But some Republicans told The Huffington Post that Trump’s picks would likely be judged by different standards than their predecessors, and that Puzder’s admission might not necessarily end his Cabinet bid.