Solicitation Flap Ousts Kansas DOI Candidate

By Trevor Thomas

NU Online News Service, May 16, 11:41 a.m. EST?A state insurance department official running in the Republican primary for the Kansas insurance commissioner's post has dropped from the race and quit his job after admitting he solicited insurers for political contributions.

John J. McCarvel ran afoul of a state law banning campaign contributions from insurance companies he regulated in his position at the department, according to Pedro Irigonegaray, an attorney for Mr. McCarvel in Topeka, Kan.

Mr. McCarvel resigned from the job after current Insurance Commissioner Kathleen Sebelius pointed out that his campaign solicitations from insurers violated state law.

A DOI spokesperson said Mr. McCarvel made some solicitations when the state legislature was in session, in violation of state law. In any event, ethical guidelines that Ms. Sebelius set as Insurance Commissioner prohibit DOI staff from making such solicitations at any time, the spokesperson noted.

In his job as admissions coordinator for the DOI, Mr. McCarvel had authority to approve insurance company applications to do business in the state, the spokesperson added.

Mr. Irigonegaray said Mr. McCarvel received donations of up to $750 from unnamed insurers but returned them after learning they appeared to violate state law.

Ms. Sebelius has requested an investigation by the Governmental Ethics Commission.

Ms. Sebelius, a Democrat, rather than seeking reelection is running for governor. So far no Democratic primary candidate's have filed for the commissioner's post. Ms. Sebelius has endorsed no one to replace her as Insurance Commissioner, the DOI spokesperson noted.

The remaining GOP candidates in the commissioner's race are State Sen. Sandy Praeger, R-Lawrence, who chairs the Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee, and Bryan Riley of Wichita, who ran unsuccessfully in 1998.

According to the Associated Press, Mr. McCarvel quit last week when he was confronted by Ms. Sibelius. She was alerted to his solicitations by Rep. Bob Tomlinson, R-Roeland Park, who heads the House insurance committee.

Trevor. Thomas is associate editor for the NU Life-Health Edition.

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Solicitation Flap Ousts Kansas DOI Candidate

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