Thread: MO-Sam's Janitorial Svcs. suing to restore work with state

Owner of Sam's Janitorial Services suing to restore work with state





Published: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 4:59 AM CDT

A janitorial contractor who contends Missouri wrongly put him out of business in 2007 over allegations he employed illegal immigrants said during a Monday court hearing that he wants to clean buildings again.

Missouri canceled nine contracts with Oklahoma-based Sam's Janitorial Services after state and federal authorities detained about two dozen of the company's Jefferson City workers during a March 2007 immigration sting. The janitorial service, which also cleaned buildings in Kansas City and Columbia, was banned from applying for new state contracts.

Then-Gov. Matt Blunt announced the raid in a news conference and signed an executive order directing state agencies to cancel any contract with companies found to employ illegal immigrants. The janitorial company is the only one to be placed on a debarment list of firms ineligible for new contracts because of immigration issues, according to the head of the state purchasing division.

Kwabena Asamoah-Boadu, who owns Sam's Janitorial Services, filed a lawsuit in fall 2007 and accused Blunt of abusing his power. During a trial that started Monday, Asamoah-Boadu said he checked his employees' documents and denied knowingly hiring any illegal immigrants.

“What I am asking the court to do is restore my contracts, one; two, pay me for all the income I have lost; three, take off the debarments,â€

Let this be a warning to those who hire illegal aliens. You WILL lose it all and deservedly so.

He reported making about $150,000 per year through the business but estimated bringing in only $36,880 from July 2007 through September 2009.

So where's he getting the money to sue?