Denn: “(Copeland) the insurance industry’s chief water-carrier”
Matt Denn, who during his time as Insurance Commissioner had a front row seat to all of Copeland’s anti-consumer/pro-insurance industry votes in Senate, hit back at Charles Lamot Dupont Copeland’s smears today and did not pull any punches, calling Copeland “the insurance industry’s chief water-carrier in Dover” for voting against consumer protects and in line with insurance industry lobbyists instructions.
Denn also said that it was laughable for Copeland to talk about conflicts of interest when Copeland has recently admitted to have made “$3 million from the State of Delaware while serving as a State Senator in the legislature.”
Complete statement below the fold.
Sen. Charlie Copeland “Votes The Way The Insurance Companies Tell Him To Vote”Wilmington – Matt Denn, Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor, made the following statement in response to Republican Charlie Copeland’s campaign press release issued Monday:
“Hypocrisy has reached a new level in Delaware politics when the insurance industry’s chief water-carrier in Dover puts out a press release accusing Delaware’s top insurance consumer advocate of being too close to the insurance industry. For four years, I have taken on the insurance companies through investigations, examinations and fines levied by the Department of Insurance, through tougher laws in the General Assembly, and in many, many individual cases, like that of Lesley, Tim and Seth Correll, of whose story I am very proud.
“Unlike me, Senator Copeland-a member of the Senate Insurance Committee-routinely takes campaign contributions from insurance companies, lobbyists, and agents. And unlike me, Senator Copeland votes the way the insurance companies tell him to vote. Just in the last year, Senator Copeland voted with the insurance industry against two bills of critical importance to consumers-SB 37 allowing the insurance department to regulate health insurance rates, and SB 191 protecting homeowners from having their homeowners insurance policies cancelled for making claims.
“Unlike Senator Copeland, I decided to voluntarily limit the people from whom I take contributions. I have worked hard to enforce these self-imposed restrictions. I said I would not accept campaign donations from Delaware insurance agents, insurance companies, lobbyists for insurance companies, officers of insurance companies, or directors of insurance companies. With one exception, none of the people in Senator Copeland’s press release meet that description. I have accepted money from the consultants who help me regulate the insurance industry. I have always said that I thought such contributions were appropriate if the work was properly put out for bid, and the first thing I did when I got elected to office was to cut their pay and put their contract out for bid. It appears from Senator Copeland’s list that one of the scores of contributions he recites is from someone who is licensed to sell insurance in Delaware. We missed that one because it was from a Pennsylvania address, and it will be returned.
“Finally, for Senator Copeland to talk about anyone having a conflict of interest is pretty laughable. He just admitted last week that he has made $3 million from the State of Delaware while serving as a State Senator in the legislature.” “
Copland was supportive of legislation that would allowed auto insurance companies to use credit scores to set auto insurance rates. Thank God Denn and others stood up to this challenge as you can imagine the hard working people down on their luck due the Bush /Copeland administration would be unjustly penalized.
Matt Denn has done more for the consumers and citizens of the State of Delaware than any other insurance commissioner and/or Governor in the last couple decades. His courageous stances against a well-funded industry obscenely supported by the likes of Senator Copeland are well-documented and obvious to any objective observer. Charlie Copeland would be better served searching for some way, any way, to respect and represent the interests of the people of Delaware. It should not entail a misrepresentation of his efforts in the BWW debate nor any effort to don the reformer’s garb.The silver spoon should be removed before you insert the foot Senator Copeland.