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OLYMPIA – An investigation by the Legal Affairs Division of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner concluded Jan. 15, 2024, found that a claim of dishonesty made against county commission candidate Steve Minnich was unsubstantiated.
“The Regulatory Investigations Unit (“RIU”), Office of the Insurance Commissioner (“OIC) opened this investigation after receiving a complaint from Consumer Hailey Oles (“Oles”) that Minnich was inserting himself as part of a life insurance claim for which Oles was the beneficiary. Oles further alleged that Minnich required she pay him a $5,000 fee, which he would subsequently refund if she purchased insurance product(s) that he recommended. Oles did not respond to repeated requests for an interview with the OIC,” Stephen Barthel, the senior investigator, wrote in a three-page report.
Barthel said that Minnich did not offer, promise, give, set off, or pay to the insured any rebate, discount, abatement of premium of any valuable consideration, and therefore did not violate RCW 48.30.140.
The “Conditional Refundable Agent Fee – Memorandum of Understanding and Agent Engagement Agreement mentioned in last week’s story ‘Minnich under fire by past clients,’ did not mention the word insurance, the investigator found.
The $5,000 agent fee was not a rebate, discount or abatement because the money had nothing to do with the cost of insurance, it was simply the promised return of a quasi-retainer fee, the investigator wrote.
The evidence does not support the allegation that Minnich’s practices towards Oles were fraudulent, coercive or dishonest practices related to insurance production.
“Although it appeared Minnich inserted himself as part of a life insurance claim settlement, the Agreement, which Oles signed on February 5, 2023, did not detail any requirements that she purchase life insurance from Minnich nor that she was required to sign it to obtain access to her late husband’s life insurance settlement,” Barthel wrote in the report.
Minnich had to do a public records request for the report. Barthel had retired, Minnich said.
