Attorney General Jay Nixon has sent a letter to the Office of Administration notifying the director that he will not allow any contract employees into his buildings until he has proof they have passed background checks.The letter comes weeks after Gov. Matt Blunt ousted a state contractor for hiring illegals.
In the letter to Commissioner Michael Keathley, Nixon said that he informed the department that a private contractor providing janitorial services was employing undocumented workers.
"After being informed of this problem, members of your staff told our office that OA would initiate background checks to assure that all contract employees with access to state offices did not have criminal records and were legally working in this country," Nixon wrote. "It is clear, however, that your contracting practices still allow contract employees after-hours access to state buildings without adequate security measures and background checks. Therefore, we must take action take action to protect confidential records and employees of this office."
Nixon said that he's worried that large quantities of personal, sensitive information stored in the buildings could be at risk. He added that spot checks last week revealed that three of the four employees assigned to clean the Attorney General's office had no state-issued ID and no completed background check.
"If your contracting practices continue to allow unscreened workers access to sensitive information a major security breach, and loss of Missourians' confidential information, is inevitable - if if has not happened already," Nixon wrote.
No word yet if the office has stopped access of contract employees or completed background checks on any of the workers.
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