Posted on 11/04/2002 12:04:41 PM PST by pulaskibush
Arkansas US Senate Race Pryor Denies Claim of Employing Illegal Alien
November 3, 2002 Posted at: 11:45 p.m. CDT
November 4, 2002 Updated at: 11:25 a.m. CDT
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- The Democratic candidate for a U.S. Senate seat from Arkansas, Mark Pryor, denied Sunday that he had ever employed an illegal immigrant, and accused his Republican opponent of dirty politics.
Pryor, who is also the state's attorney general, issued a statement responding to an item on the Drudge Report Web site of Internet gossip columnist Matt Drudge. The item said Pryor's campaign ``has been hit with claims he employed an illegal immigrant,'' attributing the information to unnamed sources. The report said the woman ``claims she worked for Pryor as a housekeeper for a year and was paid $7 an hour.''
The Pryor campaign confirmed that Ortenzia Osorio, who lives in a mobile home in southwest Little Rock, had been employed by the Attorney General, but denied that she was in the United States illegally.
``When Ortenzia came to us she provided documentation stating she was in the United States legally. She did light housework for us, as needed, for a few hours a week and only for a few months. We have never employed an illegal immigrant,'' the statement said.
Early Monday, Pryor's campaign released a notarized affidavit that bore the signature ''Hortencia Osorio.'' She had signed beneath two paragraphs in Spanish, and an English version was provided by the Pryor campaign. It said that when she worked for Pryor she was a legal resident of the United States and provided documentation to the Pryor family that proved her legal status.
When question Sunday by The Washington Times, the Pryor campaign would not answer as to whether Pryor paid either Social Security, or income taxes on Osorio's wages.
Pryor is challenging Republican incumbent Tim Hutchinson in a race being closely watched across the country because it could help determine which party will control the Senate.
Pryor's statement said he had ``never expected such a shameless attack from Tim Hutchinson and his party. With one day left and Tim trailing badly in polls, I think we have seen just how low some people are willing to sink in order to win an election.''
Hutchinson denied Sunday that he was the source of the allegation. "I learned about them (on Sunday) as we criss-crossed the state campaigning,'' Hutchinson said. "I don't know how he can attribute this to me. This is kind of typical. This is the first I have learned about it.''
``When Ortenzia came to us she provided documentation stating she was in the United States legally. She did light housework for us, as needed, for a few hours a week and only for a few months. We have never employed an illegal immigrant"
Did you miss that statement? Looks like the question was answered. I think the question does need to be asked however about the socialized security and the income tax. However I understand work under a certain amount of time a week, it is not required. At least that's how it used to be here in NC
If they are a republican, independent, etc. tell them that Pryor is for gun control (show the CNN story), against superior military technology (Council for a livable world), and will not take a stand on the rights of the unborn.
What a joke! To determine whether someone is a legal alien, you rely on an affidavit from the alien? I'm sure there are hundreds of millions of people around the world who would be delighted to sign such affidavits, if the US government were willing to rely on them!
Show us the immigration documents proving she was legal at the time. And not just legal to be in the country. Legal to work! Of course, if they had such documents, they would have released them.
Why hasn't said worker come forward previously?! Has she been physically-threatened by the Pryor Campaign, or perhaps RAPED by Bill Clinton...we must git to the bottom of this...Right, MM?!
Bill Clinton is a Rapist, Bill Clinton is a Traitor, Bill Clinton is a PudWhacker...MUD
Mon Nov 04 2002 15:28:32 ET
The Republican Party of Arkansas On Monday launched an ad calling on Mark Pryor to account for his silence on the issue of his domestic help and whether or not he paid employment taxes. The ad:
Title: "Evade"
30-second TV spot
Script: He's the top law enforcement officer in Arkansas. It's his job to uphold the law. But now, Attorney General Mark Pryor is avoiding questions...
Questions that he allegedly paid an employee in cash, to evade the law requiring that he pay social security and income taxes.
Questions that Pryor avoided taxes... the rest of us have to pay.
If Mark Pryor doesn't obey the law in his own home, how can he enforce the law as Attorney General?
Little Rock -- On Sunday, November 3, 2002, it was reported that a woman worked for Attorney General Mark Pryor as a housekeeper in his home for approximately one year and was paid in cash for her services. This woman told several members of the media that Attorney General Pryor had paid her in cash at $7.00 - $10.00 an hour. She reportedly told Fox News that she never paid taxes on the income paid by Mark Pryor.
The revelation followed an anonymous phone call by an individual who provided very specific details, which were revealed to the press by party officials. The details included names, addresses, phone numbers and other highly detailed information.
Republican Party of Arkansas Chairman Marty Ryall said, "The issue of whether this woman is an illegal alien is still in question. But more importantly, Mark Pryor's statement last night raises more questions than it provides answers. The fact that this woman was paid in cash raises serious questions about whether Pryor paid the legally required taxes, including payroll and social security taxes, on his employee."
Based on the dismissive tone of Mark Pryor's statement last night, does he really understand why his noncompliance with federal and state tax law is relevant? As Arkansas' chief law enforcement officer, Mark Pryor should be held to the very highest legal and ethical standard. Furthermore, Mark Pryor likes to talk a lot about the importance of saving social security, yet did he pay the required social security for his employee? Where is the documentation?
The IRS is very clear on when a person is required to file and pay taxes on a household employee. Under IRS Publication 926, a household employee includes those who baby-sit and do "light housework" part time.
Under the same IRS publication, if the employee makes more than $1,300 a year, then the employer must withhold Social Security, Medicare and Federal and State Income taxes. To reach the $1,300.00 threshold, she would only have to work 3 ½ hours a week at $7.00 per hour for the year. If Mark Pryor paid taxes on this woman, he should be able to quickly release the relevant paperwork. Pryor is required to file not only federal reports but also state reports with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Failure to file these returns may be illegal under Arkansas law.
Ryall continued, "We hope that Mark Pryor, as this State's chief law enforcement officer has followed his duties under current Federal and State law and hope that he can answer these questions and present the appropriate documents so as to finally put this issue to rest before voters go to the polls tomorrow."
This revelation raises more questions than answers:
ü Attorney General Mark Pryor is Arkansas's chief law enforcement officer, but did he obey the law?
ü Did he pay his housekeeper's income taxes?
ü Did he pay her social security taxes?
ü Did Mark Pryor fail to obey the same law that all other Arkansans have to obey?
Aside from the legalities (which ARE important), the democrat HYPOCRISY on this issue should be played up to the hilt.
Besides, everyone knows.
...Bill Clinton's a, Bishop-Burper.
That is hard to say. We have a huge democrat machine here. I never trust the polling data due to fraud.
I would hope and pray for a upset victory!
Why?
What is this, Mudboy Slim's version of, "Mission Impossible."?
We all know damned well what that creep was & in order to seriously describe the cretin?
It'd actually take a string of expletives.
Besides, we're all adults here.
...well, most of us.
*Purple-Headed Warrior*??
~eh??
One-Eyed One-Toed Flying Purple People Eaters -- yea.
Heard of those.
*Not* the other kind, though.
BTW, stop flagging Robinson's imps, will ya.
...for chrissakes leave sleeping dogs lie.
And of course, this won't answer the question of tax evasion.
I just don't like to cuss on-line, my FRiend...and "Purple-Headed Warrior" is FRatLanguage, IMHO...MUD
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