FactCheck: Illegals employed at his home, but by contractor
Giuliani & Romney both stretched the facts when Giuliani accused Romney of employing illegal aliens at his home. Giuliani said, “At his own home illegal immigrants were being employed. So I would say he had sanctuary mansion, not just sanctuary city.” When asked if he did have illegal immigrants working at his mansion, Romney replied, “No, I did not.”
The fact is, as reported by the Boston Globe in 2006, several illegals worked at Romney’s home in Belmont MA, off and on over a period of eight years, sometimes working 11-hour days. They were, however, employed by a contractor, and not directly by Romney. So, Giuliani was technically correct to say that “illegal immigrants were being employed,” since he used the passive voice and didn’t specify who did the employing. Romney could also argue that he was technically correct to say “I did not” have illegals working, since he didn’t employ them directly.
Source: FactCheck.org on 2007 GOP YouTube debate , Nov 28, 2007
I think a similar incident happened with Tom Tancredo.