Top Homeland Official Alejandro Mayorkas Accused of Political Favoritism

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Top Homeland Official Alejandro Mayorkas Accused of Political Favoritism

By MATTHEW MOSK and BRIAN ROSS 20 hours ago

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Congress May Further Probe Special Immigration Program for Wealthy (ABC News)

Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas tainted the image and integrity of the immigration program he oversaw by fostering “an appearance of favoritism and special access” in how the agency treated projects that would bring visas and Green Cards to wealthy foreign investors, a new report from the agency’s Inspector General says.

“The juxtaposition of Mr. Mayorkas’ communication with external stakeholders on specific matters outside the normal procedures, coupled with favorable action that deviated from the regulatory scheme designed to ensure fairness and evenhandedness in adjudicating benefits, created an appearance of favoritism and special access,” the Inspector General’s report concluded.

The DHS IG report specifically focused on allegations of special treatment afforded to a Las Vegas casino project championed by Sen. Harry Reid, then the Senate majority leader, and an electric car enterprise led by Terry McAuliffe, who is now Virginia governor, and involving Anthony Rodham, the brother of then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

At the time the Office of Inspector General launched the probe, Mayorkas was head of a program known as EB-5, which offered a path to Green Cards to foreign investors willing to put $500,000 into a job-creating U.S. business – a program whose popularity exploded under his stewardship.

http://news.yahoo.com/top-homeland-official-alejandro-mayorkas-accused-political-favoritism-182252124--abc-news-topstories.html continued

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