Meg Whitman (left) says fired Nicky Diaz as soon as she learned of Diaz's status. | AP Photos Whitman vexed by housekeeper 'lies'

After dueling press conferences and numerous statements Thursday, California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman seems no closer to being able to move past allegations that she knowingly employed an illegal immigrant as her housekeeper.

Whitman harshly condemned the story on Thursday, accusing Democrat Jerry Brown in a press conference of pushing the “lies” about her.


But immediately after Whitman finished ripping into Brown and attorney Gloria Allred for airing the accusation, Allred stepped up to the microphone at her own press conference to insist that she had “proof” that Whitman employed Nicky Diaz knowing she was in the country illegally.

Allred produced a 2003 letter from the Social Security Administration questioning whether the number Diaz had provided for her tax documentation was legitimate.

The letter, Allred showed with a giant, blown-up prop, had a handwritten note the attorney insisted belongs to Whitman’s husband instructing Diaz to check into it.

Whitman at first denied that she or her husband had seen the letter, speculating that Diaz may have hidden it from the couple.

But hours later, Whitman’s husband, Griff Harsh, released a statement admitting that “it is possible” that he saw the letter and wrote the note.

“While I honestly do not recall receiving this letter, as it was sent to me seven years ago, I can say it is possible that I would've scratched a follow up note on a letter like this, which is a request for information to make certain Nicky received her Social Security benefits and W-2 tax refund for withheld wages. Since we believed her to be legal, I would have had no reason to suspect that she would not have filled it in and done what was needed to secure her benefits,” said Harsh.

“It is important to note what this letter actually says: 'this letter makes no statement about your employee's immigration status.,” Harsh continued. “The essential fact remains the same, neither Meg nor I believed there was a problem with Nicky's legal status and I certainly don't recall ever discussing it with my wife, nor did I ever show her any letter about it. The facts of this matter are very clear: Ms. Diaz broke the law and lied to us and to the employment agency.”

Whitman has consistently stated that she fired the housekeeper as soon as she learned of Diaz’s illegal status — and she has tried at every opportunity to link Brown to the story.

Whitman’s campaign points out that Allred is a supporter of Brown and has tried to make the case that Brown has a history of pulling off stunts late in campaigns designed to discredit his Republican opponents.

Brown has not yet commented on the story, but many of his allies have begun to seize on the allegation to attack Whitman.

On Thursday, the SEIU announced that it will spend $5 million on radio and television ads in Spanish attacking Whitman.