American Bankers, Execs Charged for Illegal Minn. Contributions

Insurance industry interests contributed nearly $200,000 to the campaign of Ohio Supreme Court Justine Maureen O’Connor. Ohio’s top court, with O’Connor’s help, recently overturned a previous ruling of its own which had extended commercial passenger auto insurance coverage to injuries sustained while the driver was not working.

Both agents and companies contributed heavily to O’Connor’s campaign, according to the Associated Press. O’Connor raised $1.7 million in campaign funds total, the AP reported.

Florida-based American Bankers Insurance Co. and two of its executives have been charged with making $15,000 in illegal campaign contributions to the Republican Party last year, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

A grand jury in Mower County indicted executives Harry Bassett Jr. and Jerome Atkinson, along with state Republican Chairman Ron Eibensteiner six weeks ago, but the case didn’t become officially open until the men appeared in court recently.

Prosecutors allege that the insurance executives made the donations, illegal under Minnesota law, in order to impede regulatory penalties American Bankers was facing in the state.