Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. (Photo: Kevin Sanders for California Globe)
European Vacations for CA Insurance Commish Ricardo Lara as Insurance Carriers Were Pulling Out of California
Lara’s staff has been unable to identify the business purpose for nearly all of his travel
By Katy Grimes, March 26, 2025 11:29 am
At least 7 of the largest insurance carriers have pulled out of California entirely or are restricting policies. And California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has largely been a ghost, avoiding media and oversight from the Legislature. It appears that is because he is a very busy globetrotter – Lara traveled to 15 different countries paid for by California’s taxpayers, according to KGO/ABC7.
While California homeowners have been getting hit with massive spikes in insurance premiums, or getting notices that their insurance is cancelled altogether, leaving only double or triple rate increases in the government’s last-resort FAIR insurance plan, Lara traveled to grand places.
Lara enjoys traveling on the taxpayer dime, according to KGO/ABC7, who questioned Lara’s travel record since 2019:
“7 On Your Side obtained and analyzed hundreds of public records that detail at least 46 cross-country and international trips all over the world — including at least 11 taxpayer-funded excursions to places like Bogota, Paris, and Toronto. But after more than a month of questioning his office, Lara’s staff has been unable to identify the business purpose for nearly all of them.”
Perhaps Lara’s biggest problem is not just the travel and taxpayer expense, but that his staff can’t identify the business purpose for his trips.
That’s an abuse of office AND fraudulent use of taxpayer funds.
And, this was all taking place as major insurance companies were restricting policies, cancelling policies, or entirely pulling out of California.
ABC7 continues:
“However, two months after missing the March 2024 hearing, the Commissioner was able to make a ‘Legislative Study Tour’ in the United Kingdom for eight days. And he wasn’t late for a ‘Climate Presentation’ to the Central Bank of Uruguay later that month. And he didn’t miss his flight to Honolulu the following week for a ‘policy training.’ Public records show taxpayers picked up his four-star hotel bill.
Paris, Bogata, Bermuda, Uruguay, Hawaii, Washington, D.C., Florida, Toronto, Singapore, Cape Town, Dublin, Costa Rica, Chile, Egypt, Tokyo, Glasgow, and Dubai. “Plus a handful of trips to Arizona, Illinois, New York, Rhode Island, Washington DC, and Connecticut.”
ABC7 found a pattern of Lara taking international trips, luxury hotels and a $6,000 taxpayer-funded trip to Paris for an “Economic Development Conference.”
All while Lara skipped “seven other state insurance hearings since assuming office because he was either traveling abroad, cross-country, or chose not to attend.”
ABC7 said during the first six months of Commissioner Lara’s term, his cross country and international trips cost taxpayers $33,336. “This includes an all-expenses-paid week-long trip to Bogota, Columbia for an ‘LGBTQ Political Leaders Conference.’ Plus, a flight and five-star hotel stay in New York City for Pride Fest, where his schedule listed a VIP rooftop event with DJ Kitty Glitter. We should note the four-day trip did not list any insurance-related meetings on his schedule.”
Lara was heavily criticized recently when he missed a Senate Insurance Committee hearing because he was in Bermuda – he says he was attending an insurance industry summit by the reinsurance carriers in Bermuda, noting that Bermuda is where reinsurance carriers are located. However, Lara only gave a 15-minute speech, and did the same last year.
That’s the game lawmakers play when taking a taxpayer or lobbyist-funded junket – a “speech” is usually involved to justify the excursion.
Lara did make it to the Assembly Insurance Committee last week, and gave a fairly thorough rundown of the many issues he and his agency are working on following the wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Los Angeles.
“California’s foundation is cracking under the weight of poor leadership – political ambition overriding practical governance,” an insurance industry expert said in an op-ed for the Globe. “We need new leadership to secure a stable and prosperous future for California’s insurance industry.”
Our description of Ricardo Lara as a “ghost” is accurate. And remember, Lara’s staff has been unable to identify the business purpose for nearly all of his vacations.
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September 16, 2024 -
Evidently we would have been better off without any Insurance Commissioner. At least we wouldn’t have been paying for his globe trotting while he destroys insurance in California.
Yes. What in the bloody hell does an insurance commissioner do anyway? I’ve never understood the role. Lara sure understood the percs, however. What a cretin.
Insurance Commissioner (!) Ricardo Lara and his unnecessary, expensive, and extensive world travel are, of course, completely outrageous and unacceptable.
Katy Grimes: “Perhaps Lara’s biggest problem is not just the travel and taxpayer expense, but that his staff can’t identify the business purpose for his trips. That’s an abuse of office AND fraudulent use of taxpayer funds.”
Can we just please start charging and imprisoning these thoroughly corrupt state office holders? You know, especially when we have them dead-to-rights? I have an idea, let’s start with Ricardo Lara and see how it goes. Especially when, in addition to not doing his job or showing any interest in doing his job, committing fraud, and demonstrating he is no more than a common thief, Californians dropped by their insurance companies because Lara is in bed with them stand to lose EVERYTHING in the next firenado or flood if they haven’t lost everything already.
You know, it really is ENOUGH with these corrupt politicians. Okay?
Oops, I forgot the state’s Attorney General, Rob Bonta, is himself corrupt. Never mind!
Heard in passing yesterday Lara is eyeing the Long Beach Mayor position for his next stop. And if we don’t get our %&#@ together soon in this state to block this endless nonsense he could win that spot. As if they don’t have enough trouble already these days in once-nice Long Beach. And as if we don’t have enough trouble already in this once-Golden State. The LAST thing we need is another crappy and corrupt big city mayor.
It’s surprising that a mainstream media outlet like KGO/ABC7 dared to investigate a Democrat like Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara? He must have really pissed someone off in the criminal Democrat mafia hierarchy? Maybe Lara’s comment that he was tired of being “white mansplained” about how to do his job after Democrats criticized his performance as insurance commissioner had something to do with this investigation?
Considering that Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is an out and loud member of the radical leftist alphabet rainbow mafia, maybe taxpayers also paid for one or male companions (aka boy toys) to accompany him on all those extravagant trip that he took around the world?
It’s surprising that a mainstream media outlet like KGO/ABC7 dared to investigate a Democrat like Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara? He must have really pissed someone off in the criminal Democrat mafia hierarchy? Maybe Lara’s comment that he was tired of being “white mansplained” about how to do his job after Democrats criticized his performance as insurance commissioner had something to do with this investigation?
Considering that Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is an out and loud member of the radical leftist alphabet rainbow mafia, maybe taxpayers also paid for one or more male companions (aka boy toys) to accompany him on all those extravagant trips that he took around the world?
It’s interesting to note that the DOJ and it’s 35,640 attorneys that are on staff are not on the list to be audited by DOGE. It makes me think that now that the attorneys are done investigating President Trump and that there is conservative leadership in place that their focus is going to change towards activities like Insurance Commissioner Lara’s LGBTQ meetings in Colombia along with a host of other politicians that have been abusing their positions.
My husband and I have been insurance agents & brokers since 1998. Our business is a nightmare every day & our customers are paying outrageous premiums for Insurance…when we can find coverage for them. Ricardo Lara is incompetent at best. He needs to be gone from his position yesterday. He has absolutely no comprehension that reducing supply increases cost. For our office this has been happening since Aug. 2023 when Nationwide decided that they didn’t want agents anymore & told their customers that they could transfer their policies to another agent, but then made it impossible to do so. Enough!
My husband and I have been insurance agents & brokers since 1998. Our business is a nightmare every day & our customers are paying outrageous premiums for Insurance…when we can find coverage for them. Ricardo Lara is incompetent at best. He needs to be gone from his position yesterday. He has absolutely no comprehension that reducing supply increases cost. For our office this has been happening since Aug. 2023 when Nationwide decided that they didn’t want agents anymore & told their customers that they could transfer their policies to another agent, but then made it impossible to do so. Enough!
I’m so happy about all of this. I don’t take pleasure in seeing people being beaten up on, but let me explain. I’m one of the many who is paying the FAIR Plan for terrible coverage. We are suffering in this economy. I called Commissioner Lara’s office and spoke to a staffer who just kept feeding me half answers. I asked how it was that they could keep confusing people about the fact that the FAIR Plan was not a non-profit. I asked them to please make clear that insurance companies had not in fact pulled out of the state, but instead they switched people to the Fair plan (where they still were the ones ultimately sharing the profits/losses). I questioned that if they had left the state, there would be a massive mortgage default problem. I stated that the insurance companies were still here and cutting coverages, while raising rates dramatically . I asked how it was that the FAIR Plan could be made up of all the insurance companies and share in profits or losses and also be potentially insolvent. I inquired as to how all of the insurance companies could be part of one organization and all charge the same rates without it being price fixing. Most importantly, I asked if the commissioner was serving as a check to make sure that profit didn’t destroy the ability for working people to get insurance which is needed for the dream of home ownership. I was repeatedly told that I didn’t understand the system. I agreed that I could be missing something and asked for the person to educate about what I was missing. They said they would research it and call me back…..nope never happened. I concluded without any prejudice, that the commissioner was not doing his job and how it was that this could actually keep happening without something being done. It’s clear, that the ramifications of this insurance debacle have a massive ripple affect for our state. By the way, the implication that this is right wing homophobia, is ludricous! I had no idea about the commissioner’s life choices and orientations and I could not care less! Everyone has to do their job and that is the true measure of an equitable society. When the water comes, stack sand bags or get out of the way!
my home insurance went from under $100 per month to now almost $500 per month about a 10x increase.
I feel like I’m the one paying for this mans lifestyle
feel free to reach out if help needed fixing this situation…
get used to getting screwed if you are working class, not only the insurance companies,pg&e,oil companies,and our government REALIZE WE PAY MORE TAXES THAN THE COLONIES PAID ENGLAND WHEN THEY REVOLTED. Our government regulators and state regulators let these companies gouge us while making record profits. The CEOs make millions and get bonuses for screwing working class. DO YOU THINK MUSK,GATES,TRUMP, or any other millionaire pays the same tax rate as we do? Lara is just another state official using his position to live live by cheating the working class.
Typical Democrat
No work/ all the perks
No compassion for those they are supposed to help.
One more strike for Californias failed by their leaders.
This corruption start at the top (Newsom) down and will never be fixed as long as the Democrats control the state so heavily. If you vote Democrat you vote for this type of corruption so stop whining.