Posted on Wednesday, 09.09.09

Meek criticizes LeMieux over firm's aid to foreign workers

Although George LeMieux said he had nothing to do with the case, likely Democratic Senate candidate Kendrick Meek blasted the interim senator for his firm's help to Mexican immigrant workers.

BY BETH REINHARD
breinhard@MiamiHerald.com

Democratic U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek joined union workers Tuesday in blasting incoming Republican Sen. George LeMieux over his law firm's role in bringing in Mexican laborers to build a high-rise hotel and condominiums in Miami.

LeMieux is chairman of Gunster Yoakley, a Tallahassee-based firm that helped secure visas for the foreign workers who claimed they had skills lacked by their American counterparts at a time of rising unemployment. LeMieux said he wasn't involved in the case.

About a dozen sheet metal workers met with Meek at his Miami Gardens office. Most raised their hands when asked if they were unemployed.

``If you have folks coming in from a foreign country when there are people here who have to pay their bills and have to pay their taxes and are overlooked, that's something that we need to work on,'' Meek said.

He added: ``Just because the governor decides to appoint his good friend and campaign manager to the U.S. Senate doesn't necessarily mean that we close our eyes on issues such as this.''

Gov. Charlie Crist appointed LeMieux, his former chief of staff and campaign manager, to fill the term left by retiring Sen. Mel Martinez. With Crist and Meek vying to be elected to the post in 2010, LeMieux's appointment immediately became an issue in the race.

LeMieux said he would resign Wednesday from the law firm to fulfill the Senate's restrictions on outside employment. He is scheduled to be sworn into office on Thursday.

``I'm not personally aware of all the details on the [immigration] matter, and I didn't bill any time on the matter,'' he said. ``I`m sure the legal work was done correctly.''

One of the union members said she wanted to set up a meeting with LeMeiux. Another member, 44-year-old Lamont Mosley, asked, ``What type of message are we sending to kids, telling them to get a higher education so we can bring people in to do your job, so we could send your job overseas? This is ridiculous. I served in the military. This should never happen. I was born and raised in Florida. I've been unemployed for over a year.''



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