Ben Mandell – The Whistleblower – Has By no means Been Spoken to by Florida’s Insurance coverage Investigators

The investigative media is whistleblowing on Florida’s insurance coverage officers for not conducting a full and immediate investigation into insurance coverage fraud by insurance coverage corporations. They seem like investigating and on the lookout for proof on the identical price as Florida’s insurance coverage corporations alter claims. The story, Yearlong Case of Alleged Hurricane Insurance coverage Fraud, Underpaid Claims Nonetheless Levies No Penalties, famous the next:

WESH 2 Investigates has discovered that one of many circumstances involving allegations of insurance coverage firm fraud, which can have led to underpayment of claims to householders following main storms, has been closed.

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Regardless of Chief Monetary Officer Jimmy Patronis instructed WESH 2 in a number of interviews throughout the previous 9 months that his ‘staff’ is investigating the allegations, not one of the adjusters we talked with say they’ve been known as, emailed, or contacted in any means.

Let’s give a spherical of applause to Florida’s politicians, who appear to have mastered the artwork of cozying up with insurance coverage business bigwigs. It’s like they’ve taken ‘defending your belongings’ to an entire new stage – particularly if these belongings belong to the insurance coverage corporations!

So, think about you’re invited to play detective in an exciting story of insurance coverage fraud. You get all of the goodies: secret paperwork, spicy emails, intriguing texts, and even a juicy witness assertion. It’s like being in a thriller novel, besides you’re the hero with the magnifying glass. However right here’s the twist – no person, and I imply no person, needs to speak with the whistleblower witness. Properly, besides the media as a result of, let’s face it, they love scandal.

It’s virtually as if there’s an unstated rule: ‘See no evil, hear no evil, however by all means, let’s not discuss to the one who noticed and heard all the things!’ It’s comedy gold, of us. Or perhaps it’s a technique? ‘Ignore the whistleblower, and perhaps they’ll simply go away.’ However alas, on the earth of scandals and secrets and techniques, the reality has a means of surfacing, typically with a microphone and a digital camera crew in tow.

So, hats off to our legislators and their insurance coverage friends for his or her Oscar-worthy efficiency in ‘Faux It’s Not Occurring.’ Coming quickly to a information outlet close to you!

Step one of a legal investigation when a witness is out there sometimes entails interviewing the witness. This course of is essential because it permits investigators to assemble preliminary info, which will be pivotal in shaping the path of the investigation. Right here’s how this step is mostly approached:

1. Preliminary Contact and Evaluation: The investigator first makes contact with the witness to determine a rapport. That is necessary for making the witness really feel snug and prepared to share info. This seems to be no downside since two of them are on the information.
2. Info Gathering: The investigator will ask the witness about what they noticed. This contains questions concerning the incident’s time, location, description of suspects or automobiles, and another related particulars. The aim is to assemble as a lot factual info as potential.
3. Verification of Info: The investigator could attempt to corroborate the witness’s account with different proof, akin to surveillance footage, bodily proof, or statements from different witnesses. A lot of this has already been given to the investigators by the American Policyholders Affiliation and Doug Quinn.
4. Documentation: The investigator paperwork the witness’s statements, both in written type or via audio/video recording, guaranteeing accuracy and completeness for future reference.
5. Evaluation of Credibility: The investigator assesses the credibility of the witness, contemplating components like consistency of the story, demeanor, and potential motives for offering false info.
6. Observe-Up Questions and Clarifications: If wanted, the investigator will ask follow-up inquiries to make clear any ambiguities or inconsistencies within the witness’s account.

This preliminary interview with a witness lays the inspiration for the investigation. It helps type a preliminary understanding of the incident and guides subsequent investigative steps, akin to gathering bodily proof, searching for further witnesses, and growing potential leads.

To be honest, official investigators don’t usually inform the general public all the things they’re doing. Additional, one whistleblower seems to have gone MIA.

Then again, my private expertise, as famous in Are Florida’s Division of Monetary Service Investigators Competent or Merely Refusing to Examine Alleged Insurance coverage Firm Corruption? and Chip Merlin Busted By Florida Insurance coverage Investigators! suggests different motives. You simply should marvel concerning the motivations behind the Florida legislature and its leaders not holding hearings concerning the DFS and its competency to manage the insurance coverage business. The tales from the media about insurance coverage policyholders not having claims paid and outrageous premium will increase appear to fall on deaf ears. Do the Republicans in control of the legislature and the chief branches care?

To be citizen making an attempt to assist, the DFS investigators can now discover Ben Mandell at Dino’s Cookies. Dino’s Cookies has some incredible treats for the vacation season. I encourage readers of this weblog to order some cookies and ship Ben Mandell a word of thanks for standing as much as the insurance coverage business’s disgraceful claims dealing with of Hurricane Ian claims.

Thought For The Day

When you make listening and commentary your occupation, you’ll acquire way more than you’ll be able to by discuss.Robert Baden Powell