A lawsuit has been filed over Governor Matt Blunt’s executive order, last March, in effect firing Sam’s Janitorial Service over the hiring of illegal aliens to do custodial work at state office buildings. The Governor terminated all contracts with Sam’s and banned the company from bidding on future state contracts.
Attorney David Moen, who represents Sam’s owner, insists the Governor’s actions were a disaster for Sam and his business, adding Sam was not able to provide for himself and his family. He adds the Governor took the action without any of the employees who had been arrested being convicted.
Governor Blunt believes Sam’s was knowingly hiring illegal aliens and paying them with taxpayer dollars. He says this was not one or two people who might have slipped through the cracks – that it was a large portion of his work force. He says he’s confident the appropriate action has been taken.
22 people were arrested on suspicion of being illegal immigrants. Blunt says of the 22 arrested, seven were immediately deported, 11 were charged, and the status of the remaining four is pending the conclusion of an investigation.
The suit further alleges racial discrimination because Sam’s is owned by an Africa-born U.S. citizen who is black. The suit states the contract was subsequently given to a company owned by white contractors – B&G Cleaning – which had employed three of the people who were found guilty. The Governor calls that claim "ludicrous."
Moen has not yet put a figure on the dollar amount he is seeking … but says his client wants to be allowed to bid, again, on government contracts.
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