TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Romney Fires Landscaper Over Workers

ADVERTISEMENT

By GLEN JOHNSON, The Associated Press

Published: December 5, 2007

MEREDITH, N.H. - Republican Mitt Romney, ridiculed by rival Rudy Giuliani for employing illegal immigrants at his "sanctuary mansion," said Tuesday he had fired the landscaper for his suburban Boston home after learning for a second time about undocumented workers laboring on the property.

In a statement issued after he concluded his campaign appearances for the day, Romney said: "After this same issue arose last year, I gave the company a second chance with very specific conditions. They were instructed to make sure people working for the company were of legal status.

"We personally met with the company in order to inform them about the importance of this matter," he said. "The owner of the company guaranteed us, in very certain terms, that the company would be in total compliance with the law going forward."

Romney termed the recurrence "disappointing and inexcusable." The company, Community Lawn Service of Chelsea, Mass., did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The former Massachusetts governor has made combating illegal immigration a core theme of his White House run.

His three-point plan includes building fences along the U.S.-Mexico border, developing a tamperproof ID card so only legal immigrants can work and cutting off federal money to "sanctuary cities" providing safe haven to illegal immigrants.

During a debate last week in St. Petersburg, Romney chastised Giuliani for continuing sanctuary status for New York while he served as the city's mayor. That prompted Giuliani to accuse Romney of owning a "sanctuary mansion" after The Boston Globe reported last year his landscaper employed illegal workers.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT