Alles Klar, Herr Kommissar?

A Hennepin County judge just grabbed Mike Hatch by the scruff of the neck and whacked him with a newspaper:

A four-year battle between Attorney General Mike Hatch and Medica ended Thursday when a Hennepin County judge Thursday stripped Hatch of continuing oversight of the health insurer.

In a written ruling, Judge Lloyd Zimmerman called it "unfortunate" that Medica board members were "unfairly accused" and that the historic government-private partnership in cleaning up financial abuses at Medica had descended into "overheated rhetoric and accusations of self-dealing, deception and hijacking."

Hatch, who styles himself as a crusading protector of the consumer (at the expense of the Attorney General's crime-fighting duties, it has been alleged), has been dogging Medica for years:

Hatch had alleged that he still retained control over Medica's board, eight members of which he'd appointed in 2001 after the health insurer was split from heath-care provider Allina after financial irregularities, including excessive travel, entertainment and consulting fees, were uncovered during an investigation by Hatch's office. He wanted those eight removed, claiming that they hadn't followed state law in involving policy holders in running the insurer.

Medica argued that the board's obligations to Hatch ended in 2002 with adoption of new corporate bylaws and official election of the board.

Zimmerman ruled that the state's allegations "are unproven and without merit," and that court supervision of Medica, and thus Hatch's authority over the board, was ended.

Wonder if they're going to have to mace him to get him out of the boardroom?

(Figuratively speaking, of course).

Posted by Mitch at August 18, 2005 12:11 PM | TrackBack