MIAMI — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has paid more than $8 million to a construction contractor since authorities found it had hired several undocumented workers — including two men who have been charged in connection with the death of a Pinellas County deputy.
The state contractor, Archer Western-De Moya Joint Venture, has a standing contract with the Florida Department of Transportation to do work on the Gateway Expressway in the Tampa Bay area. Records show the payments, which are part of a multi-year half-billion dollar contract, have not stopped since the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office announced the findings.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said at a news conference in September that the contractor had hired “a bunch” of undocumented immigrants and that it would be up to the state and the federal government to address the issue with the company.
