WASHINGTON—The Heartland Institute and its insurance-centricWashington unit are negotiating a divorce, a process said to beaccelerated by distress over the institute's now-suspended adcampaign linking support for global warming with serialkillers.

Several members of the Washington-based Heartland Center forFinance, Insurance and Real Estate confirmed today that lawyers forthe two sides are negotiating a split, and that it is imminent.

The Heartland Institute is based in Chicago; the Washington unitis highly regarded by the insurance industry and serves both as aresource and database on catastrophe issues.

One source acknowledged that the Washington unit had beenconsidering separating from the parent Heartland for some time, butthat the decision of several of its key supporters to suspendfunding because of the ad campaign accelerated the process.

“Before this, there was talk, but only talk, of separating,” onesource at the Washington office said. “But the decision of oursponsors to withdraw obviously forced our hand.”

Insurance companies withdrew support after the Heartland Institute's billboardcampaign that sparked controversy by comparing those who believe inglobal warming to Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. Similar billboardsfeaturing Charles Manson and Osama Bin Laden were planned, butHeartland suspended the ad campaign after widespread condemnation,including strong criticism from its supporters.

Industry members withdrawing support for the Heartland Instituteinclude the Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers—whichrepresents 22 Bermuda-based companies—State Farm, XL Group, AlliedWorld Assurance and, according to an SNL Financialstory, RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd and USAA.

In ABIR's letter to Heartland Institute President Joseph BastFriday, Bradley Kading, ABIR president, said the Bermudaassociation would “disavow” its ties with Heartland.

Kading says ABIR's action was done independently, and that ABIRdid not know at the time the letter was written about a campaign byForecast the Facts to force large companies to drop out ofHeartland.

Forecast the Facts took credit for ABIR's decision in a pressrelease Tuesday. It says it is an organization “dedicated toensuring that Americans are accurately informed about climatechange.”

Insurers use Heartland's Washington unit as part of theirefforts to expand market-based solutions to catastrophe issues,including providing a role for reinsurers in funding the NationalFlood Insurance Program.

Heartland has experts on staff who closely track federal andstate efforts to deal with flood and catastrophe issues, includingstate-based earthquake and windstorm funds.

It has satellite offices in Austin, Texas; Tallahassee, Fla.;and Columbus, Ohio.

Its key Washington personnel include Eli Lehrer, who heads theWashington unit, and Ray Lehmann, deputy director.

While Heartland's Washington unit is focused on financial andinsurance issues, global warming is apparently a primary issue withHeartland officials in Chicago.

On its website, Heartland claims that “the most prominentadvocates of global warming aren't scientists. They are murderers,tyrants, and madmen” who are “willing to break the law and therules of ethics to shut down scientific debate and implement theirleft-wing agendas.”