Dobbs said to have hired illegal aliens

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Journalist Lou Dobbs, known for attacking illegal immigrants, has employed illegal aliens for years, a report in The Nation contended.

Isabel MacDonald, in an article in The Nation titled "Lou Dobbs, An American Hypocrite," said she interviewed at least five undocumented aliens hired by Dobbs.

The article said some were hired to help take care of the horse that Dobbs' 22-year-old daughter, Hillary, used in her career as a show jumper, ABC News reported.

One man told Macdonald about meeting Dobbs, who introduced himself in Spanish as "Luis," ABC said. The man that Dobbs "knew very well that the majority of us didn't have papers," but that "was never a problem."

Dobbs and MacDonald bumped heads on Dobbs' syndicated radio show, ABC said, with Dobbs calling the article "an attack piece" that had "outrageous claims," ABC reported. Macdonald said, "Your listeners deserve better. I'm saying your listeners deserve to know the truth."

Dobbs, 65, left CNN in November 2009 after years of warning about illegal immigrants and the dangers they posed.

The Nation article said Dobbs is scheduled to address the Virginia Tea Party Convention Saturday, his second major Tea Party address of the year, amid speculation Dobbs has political ambitions. The article said Dobbs recently told Fox's Sean Hannity he has not ruled out a possible Senate run, or even a presidential run in 2012.