As the GOP candidate for sheriff, Vic Regalado wasn’t invited to the Tulsa County Democratic Party’s press conference Tuesday about an ethics complaint related to his donors.

But he showed up anyway, making for a tense but mostly civil discussion in the small room packed with reporters and citizens perched on metal folding chairs.

The scene at the Tulsa County Democratic Party headquarters ended in Regalado fielding criticism from some concerned citizens in the group, who had challenged him to place the questionable donations in an escrow account while an investigation is conducted.

He refused that request, saying he had followed all campaign laws in reporting his contributions.

Two county Democratic Party officials and Regalado’s Democratic opponent in the general election for sheriff, Rex Berry, were holding the press conference Tuesday afternoon at party headquarters near 15th Street and Harvard Avenue when Regalado appeared.

They were discussing a complaint they say they filed with the state Ethics Commission Tuesday seeking an investigation into whether some of Regalado’s donors are “straw donors,” or donors through whom donations from another source are funneled to evade contribution limits.

Greg Bledsoe, an attorney and vice chairman of the Tulsa County Democratic Party, said the party is calling on Regalado to return the donations in question. He said reports by The Frontier and other media outlets raise “serious circumstantial evidence issues” about Regalado’s campaign.

The fact that nearly half of the donors aren’t registered to vote, some live in Rogers County, and most appear to be of “modest means” suggests that “somebody other than these individuals provided them with the funds to make these contributions,” Bledsoe said.

“We are going to press the authorities to do the right thing. It is not appropriate for the sheriff of Tulsa County, who has been so challenged over the last few years, to start off with a cloud over him.”

It is unclear whether the state Ethics Commission would begin any investigation before the special election for sheriff April 5. The commission has a “blackout period” leading up to such elections so that a candidate cannot use the process to damage his or her opponent’s chances of election.

Regalado, a Tulsa police sergeant, stood in the doorway of the small room until reporters were done asking questions. He then stepped into the room in front of Berry, a retired Tulsa Police corporal, and called the questions about his donors “ridiculous.”

“We’ve got to be clear and transparent and yes, I do believe in transparency. I don’t believe in stepping out and having to answer baseless accusations that were made prior to the primary election,” he said.

Regalado said he had no concerns about the donors and said such questions weren’t being asked about white donors on other candidates’ lists. Though most of Regalado’s donors in question are Hispanic, at least four of the 14 do not have Hispanic names.

An investigation by The Frontier and our news partner, NewsOn6, found that eight employees of ISTI Plant Services, based in the Port of Catoosa, and six of their spouses contributed a combined $34,350 to Regalado’s campaign for sheriff. All but one spouse lists her occupation as homemaker.

All but two of the donations came on the same day and all but one were for either $2,500 or the maximum allowed, $2,700. Six of the donors were not registered to vote and at least four live in Rogers County.

One of the donors, 25-year-old Justin Gonzalez, gave Regalado’s campaign $2,700, as did a woman with a different last name who listed the same address. Gonzalez has felony drug and firearm convictions as well as a misdemeanor conviction of eluding police in Rogers County.

Justin Gonzalez was unable to pay court fines and costs in both Tulsa and Rogers counties in 2013, resulting in his tax return being intercepted, records show.

Regalado said Tuesday he was unaware of Gonzalez’s criminal background and the donation “is in the process of being returned.” Regalado indicated on Feb. 27 he would return the donation, after being informed about the donor’s history by The Frontier.

Gonzalez is among six of the 14 donors who gave a large contribution to Regalado but can’t vote for him because they aren’t registered, records show.

Regalado’s campaign allowed a reporter for The Frontier to review financial records of the donations Tuesday. They consisted of seven donations between $5,000-$5,400 made either with credit cards or personal checks and one donation of $50 from the chief financial officer.

Six of the donations were combined amounts of about $5,000-$5,400 from ISTI employees and their spouses. In such situations, the employee and his or her spouse are each allowed to give a maximum of $2,700 to the candidate, which can be combined in one check.

Though Regalado has questioned why media organizations have focused on the ISTI donations, maximum donations from people not registered to vote and who have never donated to other campaigns are extremely rare in Oklahoma races. In some cases, the donation to Regalado equaled up to 9 percent of the value of the donor’s home.

The donations from the ISTI employees and their spouses accounted for almost 25 percent of about $150,000 that individuals have contributed to Regalado’s campaign since October, records show.

ISTI’s plant at the Port of Catoosa has 800 employees and provides “turnkey mechanical general contractor services for oil, natural gas and petrochemical facilities,” according to its website.

Calls to the company’s owner, Santiago Barraza, and his attorney, were not returned Tuesday. Records show Barraza is linked to an LLC that purchased former Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor’s house recently.

Regalado said the contributions came after he was introduced to and met with a key figure at ISTI, whom he did not name. He said he did not meet with the company’s employees or their spouses who donated at or near the maximum to his campaign.

“I want to point out that on all these donors, we have donor cards. That is not required by law,” he said.

The donor cards contain information about each donor and a signature below this statement: “The contribution listed above was freely and voluntarily given by me from my personal property. I have not directly been compensated or reimbursed for the contribution.”

Berry: Simonson out on ‘day 1’

Greg Bledsoe, Tulsa County Democratic Party vice chairman, led Tuesday’s press conference. He was flanked by Berry and Jo Glenn, chairman of the county’s party.

Berry is a former Tulsa police corporal who has spent the past decade as a contractor overseas, helping rebuild local security forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo.

“In light of past events, the sheriff of Tulsa County needs to be above any appearance of impropriety,” Berry said.

He said if he were elected. “on day one, I would ask for the resignation of Terry Simonson.”

“An intergovernmental affairs and contract administrator for the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, Simonson has no business being a spokesman for the office. He misled the public about what was happening with Glanz and (reserve) Deputy Robert Bates,” Berry said.

Berry said he also planned to remove the patronage sheriff’s appraisers Glanz has employed for years and replace them with certified appraisers. Other plans Berry announced Tuesday include requesting a forensic audit of the sheriff’s office and a Department of Justice review of the agency, focused on the jail and “proper use of police force.”

In an interview with The Frontier and NewsOn6 last week, Regalado also discussed problems with the jail and the need to better protect female juveniles there. He said it is important for all employees of the agency to closely follow policies and procedures already in place.