By Hannah Wiley, SACRAMENTO BEE – Capitol AM Alert

July 23, 2019

https://www.sacbee.com/site-services/newsletters/capitol-morning/article232979987.html

The Sacramento Bee reported last week that Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara was refusing to release his calendars to Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit that is questioning campaign contributions to Lara’s reelection campaign.

The story followed the San Diego Union-Tribune’s investigation into donations by insurance executives and their spouses, which equaled more than $50,000. Lara pledged to return the contributions, the second time he’s had to send back donations after he promised to keep industry money out of his campaign.

But the Union-Tribune followed up with another story that found Lara “intervened in at least four proceedings” in cases related to Applied Underwriters, the company with ties to the executives and spouses who donated the money in question.

Consumer Watchdog has refreshed its call for Lara’s records.

“Commissioner Lara should disclose his communications with Applied Underwriters so the public has a clear view of what really happened,” said Jerry Flanagan, litigation director for the group.