In her quest for votes, California Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman is saying she’s a friend to Latinos.

“I want to involve Latinos in this campaign in a way that hasn’t been seen in Republican politics in a long time. It will be hard — it will not be easy. But it is a priority of mine and I’m very, very serious about it.” – Meg Whitman’s website

“I want Latinos to look at my whole record, around job creation… [Meg Whitman, as quoted in the Los Angeles Times, 2/24/10]

We took her up on it; and found that Whitman’s record as CEO of eBay tells a very different story.

 The San Jose Mercury News recently reviewed federal employment data for Silicon Valley technology companies.

And the report is telling.

From 2000 to 2005, Meg Whitman’s e-Bay hired 366 managers at its Silicon Valley offices.

And how many of these hires were Latino?

ZERO.

The Mercury News (2/14) reports:

“Take eBay, for example. While the San Jose company declined to make its executives available for an interview, or to share its most up-to-date employment information, eBay said it believes workplace diversity is crucial.

“But the numbers don't reflect that.

“As eBay's local work force swelled to accommodate the online retailer's growth between 2000 and 2005, eBay added 366 managers to its Silicon Valley offices.

“That net increase included just five additional black managers and no Hispanics.”

For Latinos, the record is clear. Meg Whitman’s rhetoric doesn’t match reality.