Georgia governor appoints insurance commissioner

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp appointed John King to serve as the state’s insurance commissioner and safety fire commissioner after the previous insurance commissioner agreed to voluntarily suspend himself from office following his indictment on wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering charges for allegedly stealing more than $2 million from his former employer.

Mr. King is the first Hispanic insurance commissioner and statewide constitutional officer, according to the statement from the governor’s office issued on Wednesday.

“As Georgia’s next Insurance Commissioner and Safety Fire Official, John will put hardworking Georgians first by shaking up the status quo,” Mr. Kemp said in the statement. “He will restore faith in the Department of Insurance and will always do the right thing – even when no one is looking.”

Mr. King became the police chief of the city of Doraville, Georgia, in October 2002 and also serves as a brigadier general in the National Guard, according to the statement.

The governor asked Jim Beck, the previous insurance commissioner, to resign his position in May following news of the 38-count indictment, which alleges Mr. Beck stole the money from his former employer, the Georgia Underwriting Association, during the five years prior to his election to statewide office in November 2018. Instead, Mr. Beck agreed to voluntarily suspend himself from office pending the outcome of the criminal trial.