An organization controlled by Oklahoma attorneys who specialize in workers’ compensation cases has raised almost $1 million for political purposes mostly from injured workers who sometimes do not know they have donated, according to a published report.
Many of the donations to Working Oklahomans Alliance may be illegal, The Oklahoman reported in a copyright story in Aug. 3 editions. The group could be penalized $1,000 or more for each violation.
The lawyers raise money for a political fund by withholding a portion of their clients’ workers’ compensation awards. The lawyers then distribute the money to various political causes and candidates, mostly Democrats.
Several injured workers listed as political donors to the Working Oklahomans Alliance PAC said they were not aware they had given at all. Many were represented by Norman attorney Richard Bell, a key figure in a campaign corruption scandal in the 1990s involving then-Gov. David Walters.
“They didn’t tell me,” said Elsa Tewolde, who is listed as giving $80 to Working Oklahomans Alliance political action committee in November.
Tewolde, 49, of Norman, was injured helping a patient at a Norman mental hospital. She was represented by Bell’s law firm.
“It makes me mad,” Tewolde said of the donation. “It makes me very upset because it’s deceptive.”
Over the last 10 years, Gov. Brad Henry and a Senate Democrat fund have been the leading beneficiaries of contributions from the Working Oklahomans Alliance’s political action committee.
It donated $5,000 to Henry when he was a state senator and almost $10,000 to his two campaigns for governor. It spent $67,210 in 2002 on a television ad for Henry, a so-called independent expenditure.
The governor was overseas and could not be reached for comment.
The alliance has also donated $45,000 to the Senate Democrat political action committee.
The alliance has an address in an office building north of downtown Oklahoma city. A piece of paper taped to a locked door says: “Working Oklahomans Alliance WOKA 80,000 Members Strong.”
The door appears to lead to the offices of Lawyers for Working Oklahomans. The executive director of Lawyers for Working Oklahomans would no let reporters inside the offices. She also refused to identify the Lawyers for Working Oklahomans president.
Bell and other attorneys who raised donations from clients would not comment. But employees in Bell’s office insist clients authorized the donations in writing from their workers’ comp settlements even if the clients do not remember it now.
Clients are given a list of amounts withheld from checks, said a longtime friend of Bell’s. Employees of Bell’s office circle one item, “WOKA contribution,” from the lists and ask clients to place their initials by it. Clients also are asked to sign separate contributor’s statements.
A few times, Bell’s employees realized they forgot to get contributor’s statements and tore up the checks to WOKA and sent the money to the clients instead, said the friend who did not want to be identified.
The executive director of the state Ethics Commission, Marilyn Hughes, would not comment on whether the agency has investigated Working Oklahomans Alliance. But Hughes agreed some of the information on the contributions reports raised questions.
The Ethics Commission can seek civil penalties in court for violations. Unintentional violations start at $1,000 per violation. Penalties go into the state’s general fund.
Information from: The Oklahoman, www.newsok.com
Topics Workers' Compensation Oklahoma
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