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Businessman denies charges

Drywall installer angrily challenges illegal-alien claim

By Heather Draper And M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News

September 20, 2002

A Denver businessman accused of using illegal workers to remodel U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo's basement said Thursday he would welcome a visit from immigration officials.

J.J. Fukunaga, who has owned and operated Creative Drywall Designs of Denver for 19 years, said he was blindsided by the accusations and frustrated that he didn't know who was making them.

The Denver Post, citing unnamed sources, reported Thursday that illegal immigrants were used to finish Tancredo's basement and install a home theater system - charges that Fukunaga angrily denied.

The newspaper interviewed two workers who said they took part in the job.

"I can't believe the story came out without anybody doing their homework," Fukunaga said.

He said he has documentation on all his employees and has been meeting with his lawyer to determine what he should do next. He said he would happily allow U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service agents to go over the paperwork.

Fukunaga and several members of his family also run Denver Audio Design, which worked on Tancredo's home theater system, installed during the basement remodeling. Denver Audio currently only has one employee on its payroll, store manager Brett Olkowski, who said he was born in Buffalo, N.Y.

Olkowski said he and two other men worked on Tancredo's audio system - Jeff Wolff, who was born in Denver, and Brad Brock-Purviance, who was born in San Diego.

"We're all definitely legal citizens," Olkowski said.

Tancredo's offices in Denver and Washington were flooded with calls, mostly in his support, his staff said.

Tancredo, a Republican from Littleton representing Colorado's 6th Congressional District, said he had no evidence that the companies involved in his renovation project did anything wrong, so he planned to take no action.

"I have nothing to tell the INS about these two alleged illegal aliens who are felons," Tancredo said.

"I don't know who they are and I don't even know if they are real people.

"I have no information to lead me to believe the company has done anything wrong. I don't even know, frankly, that those people really are here illegally. They could be people who didn't even work in my basement, but they despise me."

OK, let's parse.

Fukunaga and several members of his family also run Denver Audio Design, which worked on Tancredo's home theater system, installed during the basement remodeling. Denver Audio currently only has one employee on its payroll, store manager Brett Olkowski, who said he was born in Buffalo, N.Y.

Ah, yes. Only one "current" employee. Have they fired anyone recently?

Olkowski said he and two other men worked on Tancredo's audio system - Jeff Wolff, who was born in Denver, and Brad Brock-Purviance, who was born in San Diego.

They did ALL of the work, huh? No day laborers to do the grunt work?

Sure. Right. Uh-huh.

<snip>

Tancredo, a Republican from Littleton representing Colorado's 6th Congressional District, said he had no evidence that the companies involved in his renovation project did anything wrong, so he planned to take no action.

Why am I reminded of Al Gore's infamous iced tea?

"I have nothing to tell the INS about these two alleged illegal aliens who are felons," Tancredo said.

Hmm. He's suggesting that he knows they're here and they're illegal. "I don't know who they are and I don't even know if they are real people.

Now he doesn't.

"I have no information to lead me to believe the company has done anything wrong.

Coupled with his earlier statement...is it that he doesn't know, or that he doesn't WANT to know?

I don't even know, frankly, that those people really are here illegally. They could be people who didn't even work in my basement, but they despise me."

Interesting. He doesn't know who they are, he doesn't know if they're illegal, but they're felons.

Inconsistencies upon inconsistencies. Something sounds amiss.

Businessman denies charges
Drywall installer angrily challenges illegal-alien claim
By Heather Draper And M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News
September 20, 2002

So the contractor says he didn't use illegals. And the Denver Post has what against that, two "anonymous sources?" Should we just take the DP's word for it?

A Denver businessman accused of using illegal workers to remodel U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo's basement said Thursday he would welcome a visit from immigration officials.

Guilty people don't do this.