Chuck Quackenbush
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Charles Quackenbush
|image = Chuck Quackenbush.jpg
|office = 2nd California Insurance Commissioner
|term_start = January 2, 1995
|term_end = July 10, 2000
|governor = Pete Wilson (1995–1999)
Gray Davis (1999–2000)
|predecessor = John Garamendi
|successor = J. Clark Kelso
|state_assembly2 = California
|district2= 24th
|term2 = December 7, 1992 – November 30, 1994
|predecessor2 = Dominic L. Cortese
|successor2 = Jim Cunneen
|state_assembly3 = California
|district3 = 22nd
|term3 = December 1, 1986 – November 30, 1992
|predecessor3 = Ernest L. Konnyu
|successor3 = John Vasconcellos
|birth_name = Charles Quackenbush
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|4|20}}
|birth_place = Tacoma, Washington, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Republican
|spouse = Chris Quackenbush
|children = 3
|education = University of Notre Dame
|residence = Florida
|allegiance = {{flag|United States}}
|branch = {{army|United States}}
|serviceyears = 1976–1982
|rank = Captain
}}
Charles Quackenbush (born April 20, 1954) is an American former politician and Florida law enforcement officer. A Republican, he served as Insurance Commissioner of California from 1995 to 2000 and as a California State Assemblyman representing the 22nd District, from 1986 to 1994.
Background and political career
Quackenbush was born on April 20, 1954, in Tacoma, Washington.{{cite web|title=Chuck W. Quackenbush|url=http://www.joincalifornia.com/candidate/4669|website=joincalifornia.com}} As a child, he grew up in a military family and after graduating University of Notre Dame on a full ROTC scholarship, he joined the United States Army and rose to the rank of Captain as a helicopter pilot. In 1982, he left the military to join the family business in Silicon Valley. He was elected as a Republican to the California Assembly in 1986.
In 1994 he was elected insurance commissioner, effectively applying considerable campaign contributions from various insurance companies.[http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-15800056.html Article: Insurers contribute heavily to Quackenbush's campaign...]{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} (at HighBeamResearch, original Article from National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management, requires registration for free read of complete article)[http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-19287102.html Quackenbush settles campaign violations (California Insurance Commissioner Chuck Quackenbush faces $50,000 fine for incomplete reports)] National Underwriter Life & Health-Financial ServicesEdition, April 7, 1997, Howard, J.C (at www.encyclopedia.com) He won re-election in 1998.
Resignation
:Note: For a timeline of the events associated with this section see[http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/west/2000/07/10/coverstory/21521.htm The Downfall of California's Insurance Commissioner] (Insurance Journal)
In early 2000, Cindy Ossias, then a senior lawyer for the California Department of Insurance
(CDI), charged the Department with corruption.
After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, it was alleged that Quackenbush allowed insurance companies to compensate their clients much less than the actual damages. In exchange, the insurance companies set up special "educational funds". Those funds were used to create television commercials in which Quackenbush appeared as a basketball referee with Shaquille O'Neal in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform.{{cite web |title=
Quake Ready PSA's featuring Shaq & Chuck Quakenbush|url=https://californiarevealed.org/do/9ecad694-bb0d-4030-afdd-689eb34b0122 |website=California Revealed |publisher=Stratagi |access-date=16 June 2025}} While couched as public service announcements, suspicions rose that main idea behind the commercials was to increase Quackenbush's name identification, which is critical for electoral success in California statewide races.
In addition to the educational funds, those same insurance companies contributed to his wife's unsuccessful 1998 assembly campaign, as well as his children's football camps.{{cite news | work = Los Angeles Times | date = Mar 26, 2000 | title = Donations to Quackenbush Paid Wife's Campaign Debts | author = Virginia Elllis | url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-mar-26-mn-12827-story.html}}
On June 28, 2000, Quackenbush announced his resignation (to become effective on July 10).{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}
In February 2002, an 18-month investigation conducted by federal, state and Sacramento County prosecutors ended with prosecutors declining to press charges against Quackenbush, as they felt the evidence was not strong enough.[http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/west/2002/02/25/features/18827.htm Former Calif. Insurance Commissioner Won't Face Federal Charges] (Insurance Journal West){{cite news | publisher = consumerwatchdog.org/ | title = $3.37 Billion in Fines Reduced to $10 Million in Tax-Deductible Donations | url = https://consumerwatchdog.org/newsrelease/insurancegate-consumer-group-requests-criminal-investigation-insurance-commissioner-quac}}
Life after insurance commissioner
After resigning as California's insurance commissioner, Quackenbush moved to Hawaii, where he was "doing political and military intelligence consulting". Quackenbush then moved to Florida and in 2005 became a sheriff's deputy in Lee County, Florida.{{cite news |first=Ed|last=Johnson |title=From politics to night patrol |publisher=Fort Myers News-Press |date=January 2, 2007 |url=http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070102/NEWS01/70102003/1075 }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite news |title=From $132,000 to $33,000 Per Year |first=Don |last=Bauder |publisher=San Diego Reader |date=August 31, 2006 |url=http://www.sdreader.com/php/cityshow.php?id=1452}}
In 2007 he was suspended for accepting free food.{{cite news|title=Lee deputy under investigation submits letter of resignation |first=Michelle|last=Kingston|publisher=WINK News|date=September 7, 2016 |url=http://www.winknews.com/2016/09/07/facebook-posts-spur-investigation-into-lee-county-deputy/}}
While working as a sheriff's deputy in February 2008, Quackenbush shot and critically wounded a suspect who was reported as resisting arrest. He was placed on paid leave during the investigation of the shooting, a standard practice for the agency.{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-me-quackenbush1mar01,0,222314.story |work=Los Angeles Times |first=Victoria |last=Kim |title=Ex-insurance commissioner shoots suspect – Los Angeles Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410111825/http://articles.latimes.com/2008/mar/01/local/me-quackenbush1|archive-date=April 10, 2016|date=March 1, 2008}}
In September 2016, he resigned, after making several racially controversial Facebook postings. At the time of his resignation from the Sheriff's Department, he also served as the vice-chair of the Lee County Republican Executive Committee and his wife was running for the Lee County school board.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/coverstory/2000/07/10/21521.htm The Downfall of California’s Insurance Commissioner], Insurance Journal, July 2000
- [https://californiarevealed.org/do/9ecad694-bb0d-4030-afdd-689eb34b0122 Quakenbush's commercial with Shaquille O'Neal on California Revealed]
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{{succession box | title = Member of the California State Assembly
from the 22nd district | before = Ernie Konnyu | years = 1986–1992 | after = John Vasconcellos}}
{{succession box | before = John Garamendi | title = California Insurance Commissioner | years = 1995–2000 | after = J. Clark Kelso}}
{{s-end}}
{{CAInsurance}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quackenbush, Chuck}}
Category:American politicians of Dutch descent
Category:University of Notre Dame alumni
Category:United States Army officers
Category:United States Army aviators
Category:Republican Party members of the California State Assembly
Category:California insurance commissioners
Category:American deputy sheriffs
Category:20th-century members of the California State Legislature