State Treasurer Candidate and Ex-Arizona GOP Treasurer Sounds Alarm on Hobbs Nominee

By Staff Reporter |

The former treasurer of the Arizona Republican Party, Elijah Norton, has issued a cautionary note regarding Governor Hobbs’ nominee for the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI), Barbara Richardson. In a letter addressed to Arizona state senators, Norton criticized Richardson’s troubling behavior during her Director Nominations (DINO) committee hearings and noted her lackluster performance record as DIFI director.

Norton, who operates several insurance-related businesses regulated by DIFI, claims he has faced challenges from Richardson in the past, particularly after he testified against her nomination. Following his testimony, he alleges that Richardson instigated an investigation against him through her previous role at the Nevada Department of Insurance (NDI). He asserts that just one week later, his company received a request from NDI for a National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) biographical affidavit.

“It appears Ms. Richardson contacted a sympathetic bureaucrat in her former office in retaliation for my testimony,” said Norton. He further recounted that shortly after he raised concerns regarding this alleged retaliation, NDI retracted their initial request and sought his Social Security number instead—information they had already possessed for over a decade.

“The caller seemed anxious and was likely trying to cover their tracks,” Norton added. He also indicated that this was not an isolated incident, citing past instances of what he termed “regulatory retaliation” against others, including Barry Goldwater Jr., son of the late Senator Barry Goldwater. Norton revealed that Richardson had previously barred him from contacting the NDI after he challenged one of her regulations. Goldwater Jr. purportedly encountered similar backlash after opposing Richardson’s actions with Arizona Senate leadership.

“I objected to a minor alteration to a form that would have resulted in significant costs and delays for my company. Instead of addressing my concerns, she retaliated by banning me from communicating with the Nevada DOI,” argued Norton. He lamented this as a unique experience in his career, one that violated his constitutional rights.

Norton also brought up questions raised by Republican lawmakers about Richardson’s tenure as DIFI director, following her March 2023 appointment. During the first DINO hearing last month, Richardson was interrogated about her leadership role on a NAIC committee that reviewed variable insurance pricing based on race. Notably, this committee was dissolved one day prior to her DINO appearance.

Moreover, the hearing unearthed issues under Richardson’s management, such as alleged abuse of the System for Electronic Rate and Form Filing (SERFF), prolonged licensing times, and reduced services. It was revealed that DIFI had limited its licensing hotline to voicemail during specific hours under her leadership.

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