Consumer Watchdog director: Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is 'mixing regulation and politics once more'

Carmen Balber, Executive Director of Consumer Watchdog, said that Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara's campaign dinner with executive Fabian Núñez signifies renewed political ties to the industry he oversees. This statement was made in The San Francisco Standard on April 10.

"It sounds like he's mixing regulation and politics once more," said Balber. "Maybe ‘shocker' is the wrong word, but it's disappointing. And if this wasn't a campaign meeting, then what is this campaign committee? Nothing more than a slush fund."

In 2019, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara apologized for holding campaign fundraising meetings with individuals connected to the insurance industry, despite a prior pledge to reject such support. He faced criticism for accepting donations from industry-linked sources while his department was reviewing cases involving their interests. Lara said he took "full responsibility" and returned the contributions after the meetings were revealed, according to the LA Times.

In May 2022, Consumer Watchdog filed a complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission as Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara continued to receive financial support from individuals with insurance industry ties. The complaint detailed contributions from executives and intermediaries linked to companies regulated by Lara’s department. Consumer Watchdog claimed these donations violated ethical standards and potentially state campaign finance laws.

According to a November 2023 survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, 71% of Californians believe that the state government is run by a few big interests looking out for themselves. The report also found that only 27% of adults trust the state government to do what is right just about always or most of the time. These findings reflect broader public concern about the influence of special interest groups on policymaking in California.

Consumer Watchdog is a nonprofit organization based in California that advocates for taxpayer and consumer interests. Carmen Balber has worked with the organization since 2003 and became executive director in 2017. She is known for her work on insurance accountability, corporate transparency, and privacy rights.