Gary Mendoza, GOP Nominee for California Insurance Commissioner, re-issued his call for state legislation prohibiting Insurance Commissioners and candidates for the Office of Commissioner from accepting campaign contributions from insurance companies and personal injury attorneys who are impacted financially by decisions made by the Dept. of Insurance.
Mendoza was responding to a press conference held by state Sen. Jackie Speier D-San Mateo announcing the re-introduction of her legislation to ban insurance contributions to candidates for California Insurance Commissioner. She was joined by consumer activist Harvey Rosenfield and Democratic candidate John Garamendi at her press event Thursday morning in Sacramento.
“To only limit insurance company contributions is a half-measure reform that is simply inadequate,” Mendoza said. “I support efforts to ban contributions from insurance companies to Commissioners and candidates for the position of Commissioner. However, more must be done. Saying no to one interest group, while leaving a hand out to collect contributions from another group does not solve the problem.
“Nor do we have to wait for legislation. John Garamendi and I can agree today to not accept insurance company contributions or personal injury lawyer contributions during our race for Insurance Commissioner,” the GOP Nominee concluded.
Mendoza campaign consultant Kevin Spillane criticized Garamendi’s participation in the press conference.
“Garamendi poses as a pro-consumer candidate, but his record tells a very different story,” Spillane said. “After announcing that he has ‘never’ accepted contributions from insurance companies, calling them ‘poison’ and ‘potential bribery’, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Garamendi did accept $20,000 in insurance industry contributions and was forced to return them after being criticized.
“What’s more, Forbes Magazine revealed that Garamendi personally solicited insurance companies to help pay off his debt from his last campaign for Governor. Perennial candidate John Garamendi is once again engaged in phony political posturing but he clearly isn’t sincere about taking politics out of the Insurance Commissioner’s Office.
“We’re going to spend this campaign contrasting Gary Mendoza’s strong record of protecting California consumers with politician John Garamendi’s failure to protect the interests of California during his previous tenure as Insurance Commissioner.”
Topics California Legislation
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