Candidate For Kansas House Seat Lost Insurance License Last Month

Dec. 03--The Kansas Insurance Commissioner's office recently revoked the insurance license of a Phillips County man now pursuing a vacant seat in the Legislature, finding a pattern of dishonesty and financial irresponsibility.

Robert Pinkerton, 53, worked as an insurance agent for State Farm from 2000 until July of this year, when his employment was terminated. Last month the Insurance Commissioner's office revoked his license, finding that Pinkerton had misappropriated premium funds and falsified documents.

The Nov. 16 order revoking his license stated that Pinkerton had "engaged in a pattern of dishonest conduct and demonstrated untrustworthiness and financial irresponsibility in managing the insurance business of consumers and carrying out his responsibilities as an agent of State Farm."

Pinkerton, who is also Phillips County Republican chair, announced this week his intention to seek the House seat in the 110th District in northwest Kansas. The seat was recently vacated by Rep. Travis Couture-Lovelady, R-Palco, who has taken a lobbying position with the National Rifle Association. A party precinct committee will choose Couture-Lovelady's replacement to serve through 2016.

"I paid a claim that I shouldn't have paid. I acknowledge that," Pinkerton said when asked about the insurance commissioner's ruling. "You dig deep enough and hard enough ... you're going to find something on anybody."

Pinkerton said he had been an insurance agent for 20 years and "never once had a customer complain."

He blamed the revocation of his license partially on disagreements with superiors at State Farm after he vocally supported a bill that would have restricted insurance companies from canceling policies after natural disasters.

"I kind of came under the microscope at that point," Pinkerton said, explaining that as the situation at work worsened he decided to retire and State Farm bought out his contract. He came under investigation from the insurance commissioner shortly after that, he said.

The November order lays out numerous violations including "falsifying documents in support of insurance claims" and the misappropriation of premium funds due the company.

The order says that Pinkerton failed to file homeowner's coverage for one family, and that when that family had damage to their home he "altered invoices for cleanup and repair costs" and "submitted them as part of other consumers' claims."

In addition to his pursuit of the House seat, Pinkerton said he plans to get a real estate license now that he has left the insurance business.

"There's a lot of issues that Kansas is confronted with right now," Pinkerton said when asked about his goals in running for the Legislature. "I think I have the ability to put good ideas forward, to collaborate with people."

Another person pursuing the seat is Palco Mayor Don Steeples, 70, a farmer and former college professor who has been serving as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas.

"I've got expertise in agriculture, natural resources, water and a number of issues that are certainly front-burner issues, so I feel like I can contribute," he said.

"My entire career has pretty much been about service," Steeples said. His father held the same seat he's pursuing in the 1960s, he noted.

Steeples said he was unaware of the issues surrounding Pinkerton's insurance career and did not wish to comment on them.

Bryan Lowry: 785-296-3006, @BryanLowry3

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