Reneau Says Fields Can't Add, Total From Organized Labor Higher Than His Reports Show

Fields Says $74,610, Reneau Says Total Really $98,160

Organized labor dumped a staggering $76,500 into Democrat Lloyd Fields' campaign to unseat Republican Labor Commissioner Brenda Reneau, his late campaign finance reports show, and Reneau says the total shown is not the actual total.

For the period ending October 23rd, the reports show, Fields took in $129,000, $52,000 from individuals. Reneau says Fields can't add.

Many of the organized labor donations, many of which were made in recent weeks, are for the maximum of $5,000. The donations are reflected on Fields' new CR1 form, past due since Monday, and a new CR4 form used to report significant late donations.

Reneau issued this statement: Former Representative Lloyd Fields, Democrat candidate for Labor Commissioner, finally filed his missing ethics report five days late, but his figures don’t add up.

According to the report filed today with the State Ethics Commission, Fields under-reported contributions from labor unions and workers’ comp lawyers by $26,000. Donations included contributions by the Stipe Law Firm.

"Fields reported $74,610 from campaign committees, but the contributions total $98,160, under-reported by $23,350. He reported $51,889 from workers’ comp attorneys and other individuals but those contributions total $54,489, off by $2600," Reneau's statement said.

"We’re not surprised by his last minute shady shenanigans," said Reneau. "He’s not called ‘Shady Fields’ for nothing. This is the type of lawmaker he was and that’s the kind of labor commissioner he’d make. Acting as his own campaign treasurer is a bad idea and against the rules of accounting integrity."

The report shows that more than 87 percent of Fields’ contributions came from organized labor ($90,300) and workers’ comp attorneys ($20,700). He’ll be required to file an amended report with the Ethics Commission to account for the under-reported cash.

AFL-CIO president Jimmy Curry told a Stillwater newspaper he’d do everything he could to defeat Reneau.

"More than $40,000 in campaign funds for Fields came from out-of-state labor unions. The AFL-CIO is trying to buy this office even though the state Labor Department has no jurisdiction over organized labor. It can’t be good for the people of Oklahoma," Reneau said.

In addition to under-reporting his contributions, Fields' name has surfaced in a cabal of McAlester area lawmakers who funneled money to a southeastern Oklahoma development district in 2002. The FBI is probing corruption in an alleged conspiracy to defraud taxpayers of almost $2 million.

For his part, Fields funneled more than $120,000 to the Kiamichi Economic Development District in 2002. That year, the District gave $440,000 to businessman Steve Phipps, a Gene Stipe associate. Phipps was to have use the funds to establish a Dog Food company in McAlester that never materialized.

"I’ve always believed things have to pass the smell test," Reneau said. "If it smells bad, throw it out. My opponent’s ties to organizations that have no honest connection to the Labor Department smells very, very bad. It’s shady."

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