Name: Calls grow for CA insurance commissioner to resign
Uploaded: 2025-11-07T08:17:56.547Z
Duration: 4 min 18 s
Description: Those impacted by the Eaton and Palisades fires are now calling on State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to step down from his position.

Those impacted by the Eaton and Palisades fires are now calling on State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to step down from his position.

California

Survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires in California are calling for Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to resign or be removed, following a report alleging he made secret agreements with insurance companies that resulted in thousands of residents losing coverage. The controversy stems from a New York Times investigation which claimed that, in 2023, Lara worked with insurers to secure rate hikes while many homeowners were dropped from coverage ahead of devastating fires.

The fallout has led to over 400 complaints filed with the Department of Insurance, with survivors reporting increased premiums and reduced coverage. Commissioner Lara's office has responded by requiring insurers to review claims and by launching investigations into insurance practices, while Governor Gavin Newsom has not commented on the situation. The issue has also sparked political implications, as insurers have indicated they may oppose Newsom's potential presidential ambitions if concerns are not addressed.

Calls grow for CA insurance commissioner to resign

the governor's office. Investigators say they're investigating whether or not this is a conspiracy. Survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires are demanding the state's insurance commissioner resign or for the governor to remove him. This follows a report alleging he made secret deals with insurers. Leading to thousands losing coverage. Fox 11's Cristina Gonzalez. She's live in Alta Dina with more on their calls for accountability, Cristina. Yeah, and it's not just the governor. It's the insurance commissioner. They're asking the governor to step in, and if he doesn't, they're asking the legislature to step in. Listen to this. Yes he needs to step down. Why? Because he doesn't care about us. You're a victim of a fire. Then you're a victim of the incompetence of the fire department. And now you're a victim of the insurance commissioner. Commissioner Lara has proven he won't protect consumers. Please replace him with someone who has the right to know what's going on. The New York Times published a report last week accusing survivors of both eaten and Palisades fires, which resulted in the death of 28 people destroyed over 16,000 structures and are blamed for more than 250. Billion dollars in property and economic losses. Yesterday morning, the New York Times published a front page expose, revealing that in 2023 Commissioner Laura's secretly hired a team of insurance companies. To go to Newsom to dump tens of thousands of California families ahead of the Los Angeles fires. While securing rate hikes for themselves, Lara and Governor Newsom touted the 2023 agreement is a way to stop insurance companies from canceling state homeowners, whose last insurance resort is California's fair plan. The truth is in the details. Fair plan is a way to stop insurance companies from canceling state homeowners announced that they were going to give the insurance companies everything they want. California program, so our insurance premium doubled. And our coverage dropped by a third. And so here we are no home. He's one of many who lost everything, saying they had been dropped by their insurance companies before the fires and even those who had insurance companies. We're not going to give up. We're not going to give up. We're not going to give up. We're fighting everyone here, saying theirs are among the more than 400 complaints filed with the Department of Insurance. Several months ago, Commissioner Ricardo Lara met on a zoom meeting with 250 fire victims heard our stories and promised to scrutinize the insurance companies managing of our claims. But the next day he approved a billion dollar rate increase for state farm. FEMA and the Department of Insurance. We're going to pay more than that. How do we pay you know, mortgage and rent? This is reality. There's a cliff. We're going to fall off come January. And we're being told that eight out of 10 survivors are in that position. Now Fox 11 did get a statement today from Commissioner Lara's office, reading in part that he has issued a formal bulletin requiring insurers to fully review their claims. He also said that the Department of Insurance is reviewing its wildfire plan after it failed to follow the same standards, and it's also currently investigating state farm over its handling of claims. The full statement is going to be on our website at Fox l a dot com. As for the governor, no comment from him at this point. Live it out the Dina. I'm Cristina Gonzalez back to the studio, Mark. No comment from Governor Gavin Newsom. What's the long term plan of these insurers? They're not going to support the governor on his presidential bid. They were very open about that. They actually were saying, you know, here he was, and we stood in the photo ops and so forth with all the help if he doesn't come forth in some way. They're saying that they're going to be very clear and very loud when he gets on the national stage. Yeah it is, and we should know his presidential bid that has not been formally announced by the governor himself. It is expected, but it has not

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