The chairman of the Cleveland County Republican Party wants several area lawmakers and political candidates to return thousands of dollars in campaign contributions made by an Oklahoma City political action committee.

Roger Warren, Cleveland County GOP chair, issued a media statement Thursday calling on state Rep. Wallace Collins, D-Norman, to return $4,000 in campaign contributions he received from the Working Oklahomans Alliance.

“Wallace Collins has previously received $4,000 in donations from this secretive organization that took money from injured workers without their knowledge,” Warren said. “Collins has used this money for his own political purposes and should return that money at once.”

Contacted last week, Warren expanded his call to include “all candidates and those who had received funds from the Working Oklahomans Alliance.”

State ethics commission documents show that, over the past several years, the WOA made thousands of dollars in contributions to political candidates including a $5,000 contribution to State Labor Commissioner Lloyd Fields; a $4,500 contribution to Attorney General Drew Edmondson; a $5,000 contribution to Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and a $4,000 contribution to Rep. Collins — all Democrats.

However, those same documents show the group contributed also $2,500 to state Rep. Randy Terrill and $2,500 to Jerry Foshee, a candidate for the Senate District 45 seat. Both Foshee and Terrill are Republicans.

Friday, Warren said he was aware Foshee has received a contribution, but “he didn’t know that Rep. Terrill was involved.”

“Well, if we’re going to ask Wallace Collins to give back that money, then we should ask all of them,” Warren said. “Because everyone who got that money should give it back.”

Warren also acknowledged that most of the candidates “probably didn’t know” whether the PAC’s funds were tainted.

“I doubt very seriously if any of these candidates or elected officials knew where that money came from,” he said. “In campaigns you don’t look gift horses in the mouth.”

Friday, Rep. Collins had harsh words for Warren.

Collins said he didn’t have any evidence that donations from the WOA group were illegal.

“I haven’t seen any proof that they’ve done anything wrong or illegal,” Collins said. “And I would certainly want to see proof of wrongdoing if that’s what happened. If Mr. Warren can prove they’ve done something illegal, then I’d certainly like to know. But just because he doesn’t agree with them, that doesn’t mean they’ve done anything illegal.”

Collins also questioned Warren’s claim the group was “secretive.”

“I don’t think it’s a secretive organization,” he said. “They are registered with the state ethics commission, so I don’t know how that makes them secretive.”