As Senate Republicans boycotted a hearing on President Barack Obama's nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas for the number 2 post at the Department of Homeland Security, Mayorkas struck back against allegations that he had engaged in any improprieties during his tenure as director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services. Mayorkas is under investigation by the Homeland Security Inspector General's Office for possible misconduct in securing a foreign investor visa for a company run by Hilary Clinton's brother. The nominee told the confirming committee that the allegations were "unequivocally false".
"I have never, ever in my career exercised undue influence to influence the outcome of a case," he said. "I have never based my decisions on who brings a case but rather on the facts and the law."
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The Associated Press reported this week that the Homeland Security Inspector General's Office was investigating Mayorkas on suspicions that he had illegally helped Hilary Clinton's brother Tony secure an investor visa for a Chinese investor linked to Tony Clinton's company, Gulf Coast Funds Management. The international investor visa program which US Citizenship and Immigration Services oversees grants visas to foreigners if they invest $500,000 to $1 million in businesses or projects which create jobs for US citizens. The Inspector General's office is trying to find out whether Mayorkas may have tried to use his influence to get a visa for the Chinese investor after his application had been rejected along an appeal of the decision.
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Mayorkas says that during his tenure, he oversaw the program "based on the law and the facts and nothing else." The Obama administration has stood by him. White House council Kathryn Ruemmler sent a latter to the committee urging that the Senate committee continue with the confirmation of Mayorkas and saying that the administration isn't concern about their nominee's "suitability" for the post.
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Senator Tom Coburn (R-Ark.), a key member of the Senate committee, issued a statement saying he would boycott the hearing until the allegations were resolved.
"We believe the committee must wait until these allegations against Mr. Mayorkas are resolved before deciding whether to move forward with his nomination," Coburn said.
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