"After further communications with Commissioner Lara's office and review of additional documents, we want to clarify that funding for Lara's travel comes from: The California Department of Insurance, or CDI, which is a special-revenue-fund agency primarily supported by fees and assessments on the insurance industry -- rather than proceeds from taxes. That money is deposited into the state insurance fund, which is subject to an annual appropriation by the legislature."
"CDI says travel organized by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is paid for by that group. The Department of Insurance pays NAIC a $150,000 annual assessment from its operating budget. Commissioner Lara has taken "personal days" on certain trips, and the department says Lara pays for those travel expenses himself. CDI told 7 On Your Side it does not have records or receipts of Commissioner Lara's personal spending on the 2024 trip to South Africa."
Since January 2025 thousands of public-record requests sought details on more than 100 domestic and international trips by California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, including a trip to Cape Town, South Africa. California's large insurance market makes travel common for current and past commissioners. Funding for Lara's travel comes from the California Department of Insurance's special-revenue fund, supported by fees and assessments on the insurance industry and deposited into the state insurance fund subject to legislative appropriation. Travel organized by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners is paid by NAIC, and CDI pays NAIC a $150,000 annual assessment. Lara took personal days on some trips and the department says he paid those personal expenses himself; CDI does not retain records of employees' personal spending. Records show safari-related security expenses in Cape Town in early December 2024.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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