California GOP goes outside the U.S. to hire top aide

The San Francisco Chronicle (here) reports that the California Republican Party has decided no American is qualified to take one of its most crucial positions — state deputy political director — and has hired a Canadian for the job through a H-1B visa. Christopher Matthews, 35, a Canadian citizen, has worked for the state GOP as a campaign consultant since 2004 and recently was hired as full-time deputy political director, with responsibility for handling campaign operations and information technology for the California Republican Party. 

According to the Chronicle, U.S. Department of Labor records show the state Republican Party applied for an H-1B visa to fill the job of “political consultant” and was granted a visa labor certification in March 2007.

KJ