The California insurance commissioner spent tens of thousands of funds from a “shell” campaign on sumptuous meals and trips to trot gloves while jumping key hearings on the state worsening crisis, an investigation Thursday by the San Francisco standard reveals.
Ricardo Lara, who has not officially announced a race for a higher office, used more than $ 30,000 from his campaign committee of Lieutenant -Governor for gastronomic costs – including $ 700 in Celebrity -Chef restaurants – and first -class trips to destinations like Bermuda, Paris and Bogotá, according to to the standard. The report alleys that the best state insurance regulator, a homosexual, has won and dinner with industry initiates while providers flee California – neglecting its consumer protection tasks elected at a time when many residents in the forest areas are left without coverage. (Related: the senior official says that she was suspended for having said “the truth”. City reminds him of an investigation into a glamorous set funded by the taxpayers)
“He is a perfect example of someone who had no company elected to this position, but he was supported by the democratic establishment,” a democratic political consultant told The Standard. “It turns out that he benefits and abuses the office.”
The Lara office did not respond to the request for comments from the Daily Call News Foundation.
I am proud to be the first in California #LGBTQ elected leader on the state level and continue the fight for equal access to #Healthcare & Equal treatment by insurance companies. Today we are celebrating, but tomorrow we continue to mobilize. Felix Orgullo! Happy #Pride! pic.twitter.com/mdazsw2tgv
– Ricardo Lara (@icricardolara) June 1, 2021
The survey allegedly alleged that Lara campaign expenses included extravagant meals in high -end restaurants like San Laurel in Los Angeles, where he would have ordered dishes like Jamón Ibérico, Orchin, a grapefruit of $ 16, the Salpicón lobster and several bottles of Spanish white wine, all partially invoiced in the ghost fund that he created in 2023. “Guest special” of Lara at the Iberian festival picked up the rest of the tab.
The standard has found no evidence of official campaign announcements or any speculating report on these plans. Sources in state policy have declared to the point of sale that they had heard nothing about a Lara campaign either.
“It is a way for them to transmit their funds and to keep a country war box, whether or not they have a real intention of presenting themselves to this office,” the Standard Sean McMorris told the Standard, which studies the California calculation of the Califunia campaign. “But the public and the press have absolutely the right to wonder how a politician uses campaign funds in a committee he opened.”
Meanwhile, Lara has missed numerous insurance audiences in the Senate intended to combat the current crisis in the California home insurance market. Lara jumped the first state insurance hearing From 2025 entirely, by choosing rather to speak during an insurance summit of the Bermuda, where a large part of world reinsurers are based – many of which hold financial issues in complaints from California forest fires.
“The work of Commissioner Lara is to ensure that Californian consumers have real choices – not only as a last resort … This implies going to insurance companies and engaging directly with the global insurance groups that support them. Almost 40% of global reinsurance companies are based in Bermuda, has written billions of dollars in complaints – including those in infilled, “said billions of dollars in complaints – including those of the infilates,” wrote the billions of dollars in claims – including those for infuge “. statement at ABC7 News Los Angeles.
While Lara’s team insisted that Bermuda’s journey was linked to work, internal confusion surrounding travel funded by apparently constant taxpayers in exotic places – including inexplicable junkets in places such as Colombia and France – left the legislators to question its priorities. (Related: the GOP explodes DEMS for having created a bomb for delay in chaos of forest fires and political failures in California)
“As an insurance commissioner, my work was to always put consumers first. Obviously, this value has not continued, “said the Democrat representative of California John Garamendi, who was Californian insurance commissioner in the 1990s, separately said ABC7 News Los Angeles.
The head of the California Senate minority, Brian Jones, a Republican from San Diego, called in the same way as “transparency and responsibility for all levels of government”, stressing the need for civil servants to “present themselves” and “do the work” in a declaration at the point of sale.
October 30, 2015. Los Angeles, CA. The students of Rosewood Park join the Senator of California Ricardo Lara for a group photo during the celebration and health fair of the “Health for All Kids” community in Los Angeles, California on October 30, 2015. (Photo of Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Since her entry into office in 2019, Lara would have recorded at least 46 trips abroad and through the United States, often staying in five-star housing on the tenth audience, according to another investigation by ABC7 News Los Angeles. The report revealed that Lara was absent for almost all the insurance hearings of the State Senate since he assumed her functions.
California’s insurance market has become more and more unstable as Companies leave high -risk areasQuoting unsustainable losses of forest fires and climate regulations. In response, Lara has floating reforms Like a one -year moratorium on insurance cancellations and non -renewal – although criticism, including consumer watchdog, have supported Its policies allow insurers to avoid significant commitments to extend the coverage in areas subject to forest fires.
Under current California lawOfficials can maintain campaign committees without officially presenting themselves to functions, although they are always liable to the personal rules of expenses and disclosure.
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