A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has rejected most of a lawsuit that a consumer advocacy group filed against the California Department of Insurance accusing state regulators of illegally withholding public records.
“As a practical matter, petitioner would have respondents and their 1,400 employees sift through documents in their possession to determine whether any particular document contains a name of an otherwise unidentified individual,” he added.The nonprofit Consumer Watchdog says the California Department of Insurance approved a $268 million GEICO rate hike without the public’s participation
Despite prevailing on most elements of the legal dispute, state insurance officials were ordered to release some of the withheld paperwork. Consumer Watchdog said the decision will make it harder for citizens to challenge officials who withhold documents from public release.