Consumer Report: Insurance Industry Has Spent $17 Million to Influence Outcome of June Election, Including Los Angeles Assembly Race

NEWS CONFERENCE TODAY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 2 @1:30 PM PDT TO RELEASE NEW REPORT ON INSURANCE INDUSTRY MONEY IN JUNE ELECTION

SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new analysis to be released today by Campaign for Consumer Rights shows that insurers have spent more than $17 million dollars on candidates and initiatives to quietly influence the outcome of the June 2010 election. Consumer advocates and the California Nurses Association will hold a news conference TODAY, Wednesday, June 2 at 1:30 pm in Santa Monica.

The consumer group noted that voters are unlikely to know from the populist-sounding names of the insurance company-funded coalitions and front-groups that insurers are spending millions to win their agenda. The insurance groups include "Put California Back to Work" and "Californians Allied for Patient Protection," and "Californians for Fair Automobile Insurance Rates."

In addition to insurance money being spent on Prop 17, insurers have spent over $600,000 in independent expenditures to influence the State Assembly race in LA's South Bay and more than $1.4 million in a State Senate race in San Diego.

WHAT: News Conference to Release New Report on Insurance Money in June Elections

  WHO: Consumer Advocates Jamie Court and Doug Heller
  Representative of the California Nurses Association

  WHERE: 1750 Ocean Park Blvd, Suite 200, Santa Monica, CA 90405

  WHEN: Wednesday, June 2, @1:30 PM PDT

Mercury Insurance, the biggest insurance industry donor in this election has spent $14.9 million trying to pass Prop 17, a punitive ballot measure that penalizes Californians who opt to stop driving for a time, for virtually any reason. Under Prop 17, Californians would be required to pay up to a $1,000 more dollars per year for auto insurance when they needed to restart insurance coverage.

Campaign for Consumer Rights is the campaign affiliate of the nonprofit Consumer Watchdog, and the sponsor of Stop Prop 17.