CA State GOP fires worker facing immigration problems

[Kadie]

State GOP fires worker facing immigration problems
Carla Marinucci,Lance Williams, Chronicle Political Writers

Thursday, March 6, 2008

(03-06) 12:24 PST SACRAMENTO --

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Matthews, a Canadian citizen, was hired last year as deputy political director for the California Republican Party, with responsibility for handling campaign operations and information technology for the country's largest state GOP operation, U.S. Department of Labor records showed.

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The state party applied last year for an H-1B visa on behalf of Matthews, saying he would fill the job of "political consultant." The visa labor certification was granted last March and the Canadian's three-year H-1B visa is valid until Sept. 9, 2010, government records show.

But Federal Election Commission records show that Matthews also had earned nearly $6,000 in 2008 working for a different employer - the San Diego Republican Party.

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Officials from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, however, said immigration law prohibited such dual visa arrangements.

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Sources said that some officials in the state GOP discussed hiring an immigration attorney to defend Matthews after the news stories revealed the apparent violation.

But that idea was scrapped after other party leaders argued that spending money to defend Matthews could subject state GOP officials - who have often been outspoken in their criticism of illegal immigration - to charges of hypocrisy.

more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/06/MNPJVEV3S.DTL