Carlton Saffa, aide to Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, was reproached by the Arkansas Insurance Department after the organization discovered that Saffa had used inappropriate sales tactics in his previous stint selling policies for Washington National Insurance Co.
In a letter of reprimand dated October 16, the department stated that Saffa provided confusing and ambiguous information on the status of old policies, the prices of new policies, and insurance premium returns.
The Arkansas Insurance Department found that consumers were experiencing “suitability issues” and were sold insurance policies unsuitable to their financial means or needs. The department also discovered that Saffa may have engaged in “potential misrepresentation and alleged fraud.”
Around 15 complaints were lodged against Saffa since 2012, according to department records.
He terminated his contract with Washington National Insurance five days after he took his role as aide to the governor. He also surrendered his insurance license in April, around the same time the Insurance Department’s legal division began its investigations.
The reprimand letter states that if he wants to renew his license, the department would first consider the allegations put forth by the complaints. The department would also require 6 hours of continuing education in ethics, focusing on “suitability and misrepresentation.”
