https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/concealed-carry-group-fined-for-illegally-promising-insurance-coverage-for-shootings-in-washington-state/
Concealed-carry group fined for illegally promising insurance coverage for shootings in Washington state
Oct. 21, 2019 at 12:20 pm
By Christine Clarridge
Seattle Times staff reporter
A Wisconsin-based company has been fined $100,000 and barred from selling insurance policies in Washington after it sold policies to gun owners promising to pay legal costs if they were involved in a shooting, according to the Washington state insurance commissioner.
United States Concealed Carry Association, Inc. (USCCA) bundled the insurance product with membership in its organization, according to a news statement released Monday by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler. The plan was advertised as immediately paying criminal defense costs if a member was charged with a crime related to the intentional use of a firearm or other weapon.
The problem: It is illegal in Washington state to insure criminal activity. And there was no clear way for policyholders to pay the insurance company back for legal costs if they were convicted, said Kara Klotz, a spokesperson for the insurance commissioner’s office.