Here’s some news breaking in the California governor’s race that is doubly intriguing because it is not coming from the political press — it’s from the Sunset Strip-based gossip-on-steroids outfit, TMZ:

The former housekeeper for Meg Whitman — the Republican candidate for Governor of California — is about to make “controversial and explosive allegations about her former employer,” TMZ has learned.

We’re told the housekeeper has lawyered up with none other than Gloria Allred. The housekeeper and Allred will hold a news conference today in Gloria’s office at 11 AM PT, “to tell how she suffered as a long-time, Latina household employee in Meg Whitman’s home.

We’re told the housekeeper will be filing a legal claim against Ms. Whitman.

From what we’re hearing, the disclosures could have a significant impact on the campaign and possibly the election.

If the allegations involved anger issues at Casa Whitman, they would not be the first.

Update 2:24 p.m.: The issue turned out to the fact that the maid was an undocumented alien when she worked for the Whitman-Harsh household for nine years. This comes one day after Whitman’s debate with Democrat Jerry Brown, during which she called for tough sanctions against employers of undocumented workers:

Whitman called for stronger accountability and enforcement of businesses that hire undocumented workers during last night’s gubernatorial debate.

“Illegal immigration is just that — illegal. We have to stop the magnet,” she said.

Former Whitman housekeeper Nicky Diaz, who was fired in June 2009, alleged today that Whitman had reason to believe she was not eligible to work legally during her time with the family. The Whitman campaign disputed the claim, releasing signed documents in which Diaz states she is eligible to work.

From earlier today, before the news conference:

During the primary, of course, it came out that when she was at eBay, Whitman — whose married name is actually, and perhaps aptly, Harsh — paid a settlement of $200,000 to a manager at the company with whom she lost her temper and forcefully shoved in a conference room.

There have also been rumblings about anger and racism issues in the Whitman household. As Maureen O’Connor reported at Gawker in December, Whitman’s sons, Griff and Will Harsh, have been known to behave like overly entitled thugs. According to the reports, Griff was suspended from Princeton under mysterious circumstances and has used the fact that his mother is a billionaire to excuse his abusive behavior on at least one occasion — after he tossed a beer in someone’s face.

Will Harsh also had disciplinary problems in school. He was kicked out of two private high schools, and once caused a scene at Princeton by shouting, “What are all these niggers doing here?” when members of the Black Arts Company adjourned to the traditionally white dining hall on campus that he frequented.

TMZ says it will live-stream Whitman’s housekeeper’s news conference from its website at TMZ.com.