Fired Judge's Lawsuit Alleges California Was Illegally Approving Insurance Rate Hikes
Kristin Rosi says the department bypassed required public hearings on rate hikes and retaliated after she raised legal objections.
- Former chief administrative law judge Kristin Rosi filed a lawsuit in Alameda County Superior Court in late September against California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, alleging he and former special counsel Lucy Wang retaliated against her for challenging illegal rate practices.
- The lawsuit claims the Insurance Department breached the separation of its executive and judicial branches by negotiating settlement agreements for rate increases without public hearings, allegedly violating Proposition 103, the 1988 ballot measure requiring hearings for rate hikes of 7% or greater.
- Former Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones called the allegations "shocking and disturbing," noting commissioners must remain "walled off" during hearings, while the suit cites reports alleging Lara used public funds for more than 46 overseas trips without clear business purpose.
- Commissioner-Elect Jane Kim plans to investigate the claims upon taking office in January, while an Insurance Department spokesperson declined to address questions about the lawsuit, stating "We have no comment."
- The first case management conference is scheduled for Feb. 16. Californians' home insurance premiums have increased 23% since 2023, underscoring the broader stakes as the litigation proceeds over rate-review transparency.
18 Articles
18 Articles
California Judge Sues Insurance Commish For Firing After Ruling Against Insurer Settlements
Former California Department of Insurance Chief Administrative Law Judge Kristin Rosi has sued Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and others, alleging she was fired for challenging illegal approvals of insurance rate hikes and that officials undermined administrative law judges’ authority. Calmatters first reported: Kristin Rosi, former chief administrative law judge for the department, filed the lawsuit in Alameda County Superior Court in late…
Los Angeles Times
BizTocCalifornia judge says she was fired after objecting to settlements with insurers seeking rate hikes
An administrative law judge says she was fired after objecting to settlements California Department of Insurance regulators reached with carriers seeking rate hikes.
Fired judge alleges CA illegally OK’d insurance rate hikes
This article was originally published by CalMatters, a nonpartisan and nonprofit news organization. CALIFORNIA – An administrative judge in California’s Insurance Department who was fired last year is suing Commissioner […]
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