Summary
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is under scrutiny for spending taxpayer money on trips that seem unrelated to his official duties. Investigations revealed he traveled to several countries and attended events without any insurance-related meetings. Governor Gavin Newsom has directed his insurance department to find ways to address rising insurance costs in California.
Key Facts
- Ricardo Lara traveled to countries including the UK, Egypt, Chile, and more as part of his role.
- He attended events like New York City's PrideFest and a conference in Bogota without insurance meetings, costing taxpayers significant amounts.
- Expenses for a trip to South Africa included a safari and totaled over $33,000 for his security.
- California's Insurance Deputy Commissioner claims Lara's travel had positive outcomes like climate risk reporting.
- Governor Gavin Newsom wants to investigate how to reduce increasing insurance costs in the state.
- Lara is the first openly gay person elected to a statewide office in California and spoke on human rights in Bogota.
- Lara's office stated they follow California’s rules for political practices in their travel expenses.
