We remain big fans of Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson.All AGs are supposed to understand consumerism and issues facing their constitutents. A few (New York Governor Elliot Spitzer comes to mind) ride the crusading wagon straight into a governorship or higher elected office. New York's Andrew Cuomo, who succeeded Spitzer, seems to be taking this route as well.
We're bipartisan -- Republican Rob McKenna is also doing great things in Washington (state) as is former California AG Bill Lockyer. Beyond political ambition, we're not quite sure why Lockyer moved from AG to State Treasurer, but unlike McKenna and Swanson, he often seemed to swing for the fences instead of consistently hitting singles and doubles.
Swanson, who has to be considered an up-and-comer for any Democratic post or consumer advocacy position. Her current role has proven to be a fertile jumping-off point. Hubert Humphrey's son occupied this spot, as did Walter Mondale.
Her latest victory is against Allianz Life Insurance. Swanson alleged that the company was selling financial products to seniors without first ensuring the product was suitable. More importantly, court papers filed by the AG's office in January alleged that some of the products may have been misrepresented.
After less than a year, Allianz caved. A settlement offer has been accepted by the judge assigned to the case, and while a little complex for a blog post, essentially allows seniors who accepted these offers to be refunded without penalty and with interest.
This is not the first time Swanson has taken on a big company and won. We remain impressed and encourage Minnesota consumers to bookmark and regularly visit their AG's page.
Labels: allianz, attorney general, lori swanson, minnesota
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