Congressional critics of President Biden’s pick to run the Department of Homeland Security have drawn up quite a rap sheet for Alejandro Mayorkas.
The six-page document, “Brief History of Corruption, Scandals, Retaliation, and Lawlessness,” was provided by Hill sources and dates controversies back to the Clinton era and Mayorkas’s involvement in the highly controversial last-minute pardons that the president issued.
It also highlights alleged favoritism and visa abuse during his time as the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. It pulls from a very critical inspector general’s report that said he helped politically connected allies get special visas, including a firm run by former Clinton fundraiser Terry McAuliffe.
What is causing special consternation is his record of cracking down on critics and whistleblowers and his involvement in developing the Obama-era effort creating the program for “Dreamers” to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrant youths.
At his confirmation hearing, Mayorkas pushed back at concerns, but Republicans have put the brakes on the nomination to “send a signal they will be watching,” said a source. With Senate committees favoring Democrats, his nomination is still likely to get to the Senate, where confirmation remains likely.
