Troubles loom for Bush nominees

AUSTIN - Two of President-elect George W. Bush's cabinet picks faced new challenges yesterday as opposition to John Ashcroft for attorney-general and Linda Chavez for labour secretary gathered momentum.

Questions arose over Chavez's payments of "spending money" to a Guatemalan woman, apparently illegally in the United States, who lived with Chavez in the early 1990s.

Although the Bush campaign denied that the woman ever worked for Chavez, the disclosure gave new ammunition to labour groups and allies critical of her nomination, and revived the spectre of the "Nannygate" controversies that derailed nominees during President Bill Clinton's first term.

Democratic senators also threatened to vote against the nomination of Ashcroft, the former Missouri senator beaten last year in a re-election bid, unless he satisfies their concerns over his civil rights views.

"I don't know of a Democrat who isn't prepared to vote against Senator Ashcroft if the facts bear out some of the concerns that some of those have already raised," Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle said.

Civil rights groups have opposed Ashcroft in part over his successful opposition to the nomination of Ronnie White, the first black justice on the Missouri Supreme Court, to a federal district court seat.

Daschle, other senators and the AFL-CIO labour federation also said Chavez's relationship with the Guatemalan woman could pose problems for her nomination.

It is against the law to knowingly hire illegal aliens.



"The labour secretary ought to set the example, ought to be able to enforce all of the laws," Daschle said.

"If she hasn't been able to do that in the past, one would have serious questions about whether she would be able to do it in her capacity as secretary of labour."

Chavez did not return a telephone message left at her home.

A Bush spokesman said the woman was never employed by Chavez, and Bush "absolutely" retained confidence in his nominee.

"As these facts come out, they point to Ms Chavez's character and her big heart," Bush spokesman Tucker Eskew said. "Ms Chavez did not employ this woman as a housekeeper or anything else."

Eskew said the woman lived with Chavez for about a year over 1991 and 1992, after a friend asked Chavez to help her.

Chavez "provided her with spending money from time to time," drove her to English classes and job interviews and helped her ride the subway, Eskew said.

The woman performed chores around the house, in the manner of a long-term house guest, but "on an irregular basis - not a set list of chores and not a regular schedule."

He said the relationship was characteristic of Chavez's interest in helping or mentoring people of different nationalities.



Clinton's nomination of people who did not pay payroll taxes on their servants fuelled the "Nannygate" controversies of his early term and heightened scrutiny over the financial relationships of Government officials and their servants.





Bush's cabinet nominations must be confirmed by the Senate, which is split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats.

Republican Dick Cheney will hold the tie-breaking vote after he takes office as Vice-President on January 20.

Daschle said Ashcroft's nomination was not assured, despite his being a former member of the Senate.

Senator Joseph Biden, a Delaware Democrat on the Senate judiciary committee, which will hold the hearing on Ashcroft, said he wanted to find out why the attorney-general nominee gave interviews to "white supremacist" magazines.

"I may oppose his nomination," Biden said.

Republican Senator Fred Thompson, of Tennessee, said he was concerned about a rush to judge Ashcroft before the Senate hearing, describing it as "a snowball effect."

- REUTERS

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