Yvette Donosso Diaz is one of 57 appointees scheduled to be confirmed by the Senate today at the beginning of a two-day special session.
She is nominated as the interim manager of the state Department of Community and Economic Development and, effective July 1, executive director of the new state Department of Community and Culture, said Ric Cantrell, a Senate spokesman.
An attorney for Y. Andreina Perez on March 31 sent the Governor's Office a letter saying Perez and other undocumented residents worked as nannies for Diaz, who was aware of their illegal status. Diaz, a lawyer whose practice included employment law, denied all of Perez's allegations and provided investigators with proof of the nanny's legal status and tax records.
Perez said Diaz knew she had used fake documents.
On Monday afternoon, the state Department of Public Safety handed over to the Governor's Office an investigation summary on the allegations against Diaz. The report was the result of a two-week investigation by DPS officials, who spoke with Diaz and Perez.
The DPS investigation report and summary were not available to the public.
"It's private, not public, information," said Lt. Doug McCleve, a DPS spokesman. "These kinds of documents are protected."
Perez is confirmed to be an undocumented resident, said Tammy Kikuchi, a Huntsman spokeswoman. But Diaz never knew that when she hired Perez, she said.
Diaz "did not know she was undocumented because [Perez] had provided fraudulent documents," Kikuchi said.
Huntsman said he is satisfied and puts his trust in the DPS investigation. He said he is glad the probe is over, and he knows Diaz is "going to do a very good job."
"Her background and her leadership speak for itself," he said.
Huntsman said he hopes the Latino community is not divided over the investigation.
"I will do everything I can, and I hope Yvette does everything she can, to make sure we are united as a Hispanic community," he said.
Diaz, 32, said she is pleased the investigation proved what she has been saying all along.
"We did everything according to the law and provided all the necessary documents needed," she said.
Diaz said she was honored by the overwhelming support from minority leaders statewide during the past few weeks, but she is relieved the investigation is over.
"It was difficult and painful to see my integrity questioned," she said. "In the end, it was a positive learning experience."
Perez's lawyer, Jeremy Evans, said regardless of the investigation's outcome, Perez is glad she was able to tell her side of the story to investigators.
"Ultimately, it's a political decision," Evans said. "It's just a disappointment when you just have to walk away."
As of late Monday, the Senate's five-member Workforce Services and Community and Economic Development Confirmation Committee had not decided yet whether it would schedule a hearing on Diaz's confirmation because committee members had not yet reviewed the report, Cantrell said.
It appeared unlikely the committee would meet. Such an action would require a 24-hour public notice and the committee's chairman, Sen. Al Mansell, R-Sandy, was out of town Monday and could not be reached for comment.
Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake City, is one of two Democrats who sit on the committee. He said he doubts there will be a hearing on Diaz's confirmation.
"There are some Republicans on the committee who would want to make an issue [out of Diaz possibly hiring an illegal immigrant]. [But leaders] want to avoid the controversy," McCoy said.
jsanchez@sltrib.com
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Tribune reporters Thomas Burr and Rebecca Walsh contributed to this report.


