On Wednesday, the White House was asked about an inspector general report that suggested a top Department of Homeland Security official played favorites and gave special access in the management of a visa program.
Deputy Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is the DHS official that the IG report said to have intervened in several cases in regards to the EB-5 visa program. The EB-5 program is a visa program to attract foreigners to invest in the U.S.
"Mr. Mayorkas communicated with stakeholders on substantive issues, outside of the normal adjudicatory process, and intervened with the career [Citizenship and Immigration Services] staff in ways that benefited the stakeholders," the report said.
The stakeholders that benefited from Mayorkas’ actions were Virginia Democrat Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Hillary Clinton’s brother Anthony Rodham, Senate Democrat Minority Leader Harry Reid, and other politically connected democrats.
Fox News reporter Ed Henry asked White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, "Why is Mr. Mayorkas still employed by this administration after independent IG says he gave special access to Democrats?"
"Mr. Mayorkas is still at the Department of Homeland Security because he is a decorated public servant and effective leader of that organization," Earnest said. Earnest continued to defend Mayorkas’ actions as trying to reform the EB-5 program.
Henry asked, "How could you say this is a great public servant trying to reform a program that he basically gave special visas and access to politically connected Democrats?"
Earnest said the IG report did not suggest these individuals were not deserving of visas, but instead suggested the program didn’t work well.