A State Farm executive, Haden Kirkpatrick, has been dismissed following a controversial video recording in which he discussed the company’s rate hikes after the Los Angeles wildfires in January. The video, published by O’Keefe Media Group, captured Kirkpatrick, State Farm Mutual’s vice president for innovation and venture capital, making remarks about orchestrating a 22% emergency rate increase for California policyholders.
In the video, Kirkpatrick described the rate hike as “kind of” orchestrated, “but not in the way you would think.” He also made disparaging comments about the fire victims in Pacific Palisades, suggesting that homes should not have been built in such areas due to their natural surroundings. The recording was reportedly made during a Tinder date, which Kirkpatrick believes was a setup.
State Farm has distanced itself from Kirkpatrick’s comments. The company stated that the assertions made in the video do not represent their views or commitment to California residents. They confirmed that Kirkpatrick is no longer affiliated with the company. The California Department of Insurance is seeking answers from State Farm regarding the situation, stating that the incident raises more questions.
The insurance company had filed for the emergency rate hike citing the wildfires and a $5 billion decline in its surplus account over the last decade. However, the fallout from Kirkpatrick’s comments has led to increased scrutiny of State Farm’s practices.
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