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Wildfire Survivors Call for California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to Resign After Times Report

The calls follow a New York Times investigation into a 2023 deal that allegedly rewarded insurers for dropping customers.

Overview

  • Survivors from the Eaton and Palisades fires held a Thursday news conference urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to call for Lara’s resignation.
  • They say insurers have undervalued, delayed or denied claims, leaving families uncertain about rebuilding.
  • The campaign was prompted by a New York Times report detailing a quietly negotiated 2023 agreement that incentivized carriers to drop tens of thousands of policyholders for future rate hikes.
  • Lara has pushed back on the report’s framing, telling the Times the state was “bullied” by insurers into the arrangement.
  • Lara’s office told NBC Los Angeles it is working to address the insurance crisis and to help wildfire survivors.