Consumer Watchdog Calls Out Insurance Regulator For Email Deletion Program
Tuesday, February 1st, 2022 Legislation & RegulationConsumer Watchdog has issued a notice saying that the California Department of Insurance (CDI) has retracted its policy to delete agency email databases – days after the consumer advocate group warned the regulator that it would threaten legal action over the email disposals.
According to the consumer advocacy group, CDI’s email deletion policy was initially proposed shortly after Consumer Watchdog sought records under the Public Records Act regarding a government corruption scandal involving insurers that allegedly contributed to California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s 2022 re-election campaign.
The emails in question are subject to Consumer Watchdog’s litigation against Lara, the group explained. The group added that the email records are ‘essential to ensuring that insurance companies are living up to their promises to consumers.’
Sources within the CDI had tipped off Consumer Watchdog of the email deletion policy, which prompted the group to send Commissioner Lara a letter last Monday, warning that when an agency "is aggressively destroying its emails, it appears to be trying to hide something."
