Greta Van Susteren on Friday absolutely skewered Gloria Allred, the attorney representing California Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman's former housekeeper.
In a fiery nine minute discussion on Fox's "On the Record," the host accused her guest of being "unthinkable" and "rotten" by bringing this issue to light, especially right before an election.
"You're getting your client deported by putting a big neon sign, 'Hey, I'm here illegally, I signed documents falsely, and I've done that under penalty of perjury,'" scolded Van Susteren.
"On the eve of an election, to raise something like this, which has the possibility of smearing unfairly, calling someone a liar and subverting the electoral process...I think all three things are rotten" (video follows with comments and highlights along with full transcript at end of post, h/t Ed Morrissey):
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN: I think this is absolutely unthinkable! Let me tell you what you've done. Three things. One, you're getting your client deported by putting a big neon sign, Hey, I'm here illegally, I signed documents falsely, and I've done that under penalty of perjury, saying that I was -- that this is my Social Security number. That's the first thing.
The second thing is, is I think your inferences from this document, this Social Security document -- I think you got it all wrong. I actually think it helps Meg Whitman and her husband because I think that's the more reasonable inference and you'd get barbecued if you took it to court. And finally, on the eve of an election, to raise something like this, which has the possibility of smearing unfairly, calling someone a liar and subverting the electoral process.
So all three things -- and you know I like you, but I think all three things are rotten.
After Allred made her case, Van Susteren pounced again:
Gloria, this is almost delusional because, yes, that's what I'm telling you. This is where you get barbecued in court. It has her husband's handwriting on it. Her handwriting is not on it! And it says Nicky -- that's the housekeeper -- please check on this, thanks. That shows that the husband didn't have a clue! That's why you get barbecued in court. This doesn't show Meg Whitman knows it! It shows that her husband was confused by it, turns it over to the housekeeper, and then the housekeeper apparently sits on it because she knows she has this big, fat lie!
What you've done is you've outed your client, told the world that here we've got this undocumented person in the United States who now under penalty of perjury has lied! You put a big flat -- big neon sign, Come arrest my client. And worse, look what she's done, and she's got kids who were born here in the United States! (INAUDIBLE) this blown up huge, and we're on the verge of an election!
But maybe the best scrum was when Allred played the Fox News card on Van Susteren:
GLORIA ALLRED: I'll tell you why she's Rosa Parks. She is Rosa Parks and she is very admired by a lot of people in -- who are Latinas, who are Latinos, and others who are not because everybody appreciates the huge risks that she is taking. And I want you to know that she appreciates those risks, too. She understands that these are enormous risks she's taking by speaking out. And I know that a lot of people like you and a lot of people on FOX News Channel would like her...
VAN SUSTEREN: Now, stop that!
ALLRED: ... to be silent and just let...
VAN SUSTEREN: Now, stop that!
ALLRED: ... Meg...
VAN SUSTEREN: Gloria -- now, Gloria...
ALLRED: ... and let...
VAN SUSTEREN: Gloria, don't you dare do that to me!
ALLRED: No...
VAN SUSTEREN: Now, wait a second! Stop that right now, Gloria, because you know I've represented more people than you have in situations much -- I mean, in terms of people who need -- who need representation. So don't try to pull that stunt on me!
Nicely done, Greta. If only more so-called journalists would be willing to take Allred to task for this nonsense.
Brava!
Full transcript follows:
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, HOST: With election day closing in fast, the race for California governor has just been turned on its head. Republican Meg Whitman's long-time former maid, an illegal immigrant, says Whitman knew she was in the country illegally and was abusive to her. Whitman denies it. She claims she did not know the woman was an illegal immigrant until 2009, and that when she learned the news, she fired the woman immediately.
Lawyer Gloria Allred is representing the maid and says she has the smoking gun in the case. But does Allred's evidence actually hurt her client? Gloria Allred joins us right now.
Gloria, I got to get -- you know I like you, Gloria, but I think this is absolutely unthinkable! Let me tell you what you've done. Three things. One, you're getting your client deported by putting a big neon sign, Hey, I'm here illegally, I signed documents falsely, and I've done that under penalty of perjury, saying that I was -- that this is my Social Security number. That's the first thing.
The second thing is, is I think your inferences from this document, this Social Security document -- I think you got it all wrong. I actually think it helps Meg Whitman and her husband because I think that's the more reasonable inference and you'd get barbecued if you took it to court. And finally, on the eve of an election, to raise something like this, which has the possibility of smearing unfairly, calling someone a liar and subverting the electoral process.
So all three things -- and you know I like you, but I think all three things are rotten. So go ahead. Respond.
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY FOR WHITMAN'S FORMER HOUSEKEEPER: Well, you've asked three things. Which one would you like me to start with?
VAN SUSTEREN: Take your pick because I think all -- they're all bad! You know, I don't know which one is the worst. Take your -- well, let's talk about the -- let's talk about the Social Security document or the document...
ALLRED: OK. Good.
VAN SUSTEREN: ... where the Social Security Administration -- start there.
ALLRED: OK. All right. Here's the heart of it, Greta. Two days ago, Meg Whitman, when we said that she had notice that she was possibly hiring -- or continuing to employ, I should say -- an undocumented worker, namely Nicky, my client, the housekeeper in her home, I said that she had received that letter on April 22nd from the Social Security Administration, warning her or suggesting to her that there might be a mismatch in the Social Security number, which is usually a clue that you might have an undocumented worker working for you.
But what happened was Meg Whitman used the following words in response to what I said, quote, to the Associated Press, "We never received that letter or the notification." And she also denied it to The Los Angeles Times and also denied it to The New York Times.
So what I did yesterday was simply show she did, in fact, lie because she said, We...
VAN SUSTEREN: All right, let's stop there.
ALLRED: ... meaning her husband -- wait. Here's the letter. She said, We, meaning her husband and herself, never received it. And here it is. It's got her address on it. It's got her name on it. It's got her husband's handwriting on it.
VAN SUSTEREN: Gloria, this is almost delusional because, yes, that's what I'm telling you. This is where you get barbecued in court. It has her husband's handwriting on it. Her handwriting is not on it! And it says Nicky -- that's the housekeeper -- please check on this, thanks. That shows that the husband didn't have a clue! That's why you get barbecued in court. This doesn't show Meg Whitman knows it! It shows that her husband was confused by it, turns it over to the housekeeper, and then the housekeeper apparently sits on it because she knows she has this big, fat lie!
ALLRED: No, that's not true. Here's where you're wrong, Greta. First of all, Meg Whitman said to the public and the press before I showed this letter, We never received that letter. So she is saying, flatly, denying that her husband...
VAN SUSTEREN: She didn't get it!
ALLRED: ... ever received it...
VAN SUSTEREN: Oh, Gloria!
ALLRED: No! But she lied...
(CROSSTALK)
VAN SUSTEREN: There isn't a single -- if this ever went to the jury (INAUDIBLE) there isn't a single...
ALLRED: It's not going to court.
VAN SUSTEREN: Of course not! But I'm saying -- and which is another horrible thing to do. So why put it out in the press and why do this to her and why smear her and even call her a liar? But the fact is, is that she didn't -- there's no proof she ever got it!
ALLRED: Well, you know, the lie is...
VAN SUSTEREN: And the husband says...
ALLRED: ... that she denied...
(CROSSTALK)
VAN SUSTEREN: And the husband says he doesn't remember getting this document several years ago! I mean, it's just, like -- it's, like -- it's insane that you assign this knowledge to her!
ALLRED: Greta, she didn't say on Wednesday that they didn't remember getting it. She denied -- We never received that letter or notification, is what she said to the Associated Press, The LA times, The New York Times, and so forth. She was clear. They denied ever receiving it. She didn't know that I had a copy of it with her husband's handwriting on it.
VAN SUSTEREN: It's -- it's -- it doesn't...
ALLRED: That is a lie.
VAN SUSTEREN: But it's -- here's -- here's...
ALLRED: That shows the character.
VAN SUSTEREN: Here's the irony! But the thing is, Gloria, the letter (INAUDIBLE) the thing that doesn't have her handwriting but has her husband's -- doesn't even hurt either one of them, it actually helps her because it says, Nicky, please check on this, because they don't have a clue that your client has lied to them! They've been duped! And now you have -- what you've done is you've outed your client, told the world that here we've got this undocumented person in the United States who now under penalty of perjury has lied! You put a big flat -- big neon sign, Come arrest my client. And worse, look what she's done, and she's got kids who were born here in the United States! (INAUDIBLE) this blown up huge, and we're on the verge of an election!
ALLRED: OK, her are two points. One, when they gave -- when he gave it to Nicky and said, Nicky, please check on it, he never asked for it back. And if you look at the form, which I have right here, the government is telling the employer, Fill in the information above and return this letter in the enclosed envelope. It's the employer's job to do what the government says.
VAN SUSTEREN: OK, then...
ALLRED: Fill it in...
VAN SUSTEREN: ... then scream about...
ALLRED: ... and send it back.
VAN SUSTEREN: Then scream about the husband!
ALLRED: And they didn't.
VAN SUSTEREN: I don't -- I don't agree with...
(CROSSTALK)
VAN SUSTEREN: I think your client has the responsibility...
ALLRED: ... answer the question?
VAN SUSTEREN: But for God's sakes, this isn't Meg Whitman! This is her husband! He's a surgeon at Stanford who probably doesn't what -- doesn't know anything probably about these documents, would be my guess.
ALLRED: Oh -- oh, he's a neurosurgeon who somehow can't recall. But Greta, let me just address your other point. Besides the fact that, you know, a multi-millionaire somehow doesn't think that when the government...
(CROSSTALK)
VAN SUSTEREN: ... class warfare! That's blackmail! Do you know what? That's the problem, Gloria, is you're blackmailing her because...
ALLRED: Where...
VAN SUSTEREN: ... she looks like -- she looks like the creep because she's the rich person against the -- against the person who's here illegally who's going to...
ALLRED: Greta, hold on.
VAN SUSTEREN: ... who's just putting, like, a -- like a political gun to her head!
ALLRED: Hold on! That is complete defamation of character, and I am shocked that you...
VAN SUSTEREN: It is not!
ALLRED: ... would say it.
VAN SUSTEREN: Your client lied!
ALLRED: You can't...
VAN SUSTEREN: Your client lied!
ALLRED: No. No.
VAN SUSTEREN: Your -- I mean, your client's the one's who's the liar, not Meg Whitman!
ALLRED: Greta, I'd appreciate it if you'd let me respond. That is very defamatory to accuse my client or me of blackmail. She never asked her for any money. As a matter of fact, Meg Whitman didn't even pay for all the hours...
VAN SUSTEREN: Well, what's the...
ALLRED: ... that she worked...
VAN SUSTEREN: What's the purpose of this?
ALLRED: ... is what Nicky is saying.
VAN SUSTEREN: Why did you do this?
ALLRED: She never...
VAN SUSTEREN: I mean, you could -- you -- you...
ALLRED: OK...
VAN SUSTEREN: ... referred to your client...
ALLRED: ... because...
VAN SUSTEREN: ... as Rosa Park (SIC) because...
ALLRED: Yes. Exactly.
VAN SUSTEREN: ... she lied and duped -- duped...
ALLRED: Yes.
VAN SUSTEREN: ... Meg Whitman into thinking that she was legal! And so suddenly, she's the Rosa Park!
ALLRED: OK.
VAN SUSTEREN: Rosa Park was an enormous hero to many people in this country and ought to be! It was not someone who lied on a document and then duped an employer and then outed her on the eve of an election, saying that she'd done something...
ALLRED: I'll tell...
VAN SUSTEREN: ... and accusing her of having knowledge of something her husband wrote that she didn't, either, and that was innocent to begin with!
ALLRED: I'll tell you why she's Rosa Parks. She is Rosa Parks and she is very admired by a lot of people in -- who are Latinas, who are Latinos, and others who are not because everybody appreciates the huge risks that she is taking. And I want you to know that she appreciates those risks, too. She understands that these are enormous risks she's taking by speaking out. And I know that a lot of people like you and a lot of people on FOX News Channel would like her...
VAN SUSTEREN: Now, stop that!
ALLRED: ... to be silent and just let...
VAN SUSTEREN: Now, stop that!
ALLRED: ... Meg...
VAN SUSTEREN: Gloria -- now, Gloria...
ALLRED: ... and let...
VAN SUSTEREN: Gloria, don't you dare do that to me!
ALLRED: No...
VAN SUSTEREN: Now, wait a second! Stop that right now, Gloria, because you know I've represented more people than you have in situations much -- I mean, in terms of people who need -- who need representation. So don't try to pull that stunt on me! You know, just because this woman...
ALLRED: Well, I'm saying -- to say that she should -- you know, that she shouldn't speak out because she's taking a risk somehow that she could be deported -- she's chosen to do this, Greta. She has -- she is very well aware...
VAN SUSTEREN: No, Gloria!
ALLRED: ... of all of this.
VAN SUSTEREN: I think -- Gloria, I think you chose to do this!
ALLRED: She knows all those things.
VAN SUSTEREN: I don't believe it! I don't buy it! I think this -- if this women knew...
ALLRED: OK, what...
VAN SUSTEREN: If this woman knew...
ALLRED: Greta...
VAN SUSTEREN: ... that she now runs the risk of being deported and she's now -- maybe she made an admission of lying under oath, I don't know. Maybe it's just through you. But if she did that, I don't know what you're advising this woman! I never would advise a client of mine, you know, to get -- to get involved like this and out yourself because she's got kids who were born here in the United States, and now she's got this personal mess!
ALLRED: Greta, since you have no idea what the conversations were because you never heard any of the conversations between my clients and myself, for you to conclude that I must have told her that he has to do it or should do it --
(CROSSTALK)
VAN SUSTEREN: You know what, my goal is not to hurt the client. My goal is to help the client. Gloria, we got to go.
ALLRED: Here's my goal. My goal is to support her in what she wants to do.
VAN SUSTEREN: Gloria, thank you.
