Internal Gov't Reports Show Mercury Insurance Discriminated Against Soldiers, Unemployed, Domestic Partners, Small Biz - Reveal Motive Behind Prop 17

** TELEPHONE NEWS CONFERENCE – TODAY - MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, @11:30 A.M. PST **

Mercury Insurance Initiative – Prop 17 – Will Legalize Unlawful Surcharges Discovered by State Investigators

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Consumer Watchdog will host a telephone news conference on Monday, February 8 to discuss newly released government reports showing that Mercury Insurance, the backer of California Proposition 17, has a history of discrimination against members of the U.S. military, the unemployed, the disabled, small businesspeople and unmarried adults living together. Consumer Watchdog pointed out many of these economically vulnerable groups are now targeted for an unfair surcharge by the Mercury's June ballot measure. Mercury is California's third largest auto insurer.

WHO: Harvey Rosenfield, Founder, Consumer Watchdog

WHAT: Telephone News Conference To Discuss Findings of Discrimination at Mercury Insurance, the Relation to Prop 17 and Outreach to Nat'l Military Leaders About Mercury's Treatment of Soldiers

WHEN: Monday, February 8, 2010 @11:30 AM PST

DIAL-IN#: 877.414.3322

CONFERENCE ID#: 55867744

A series of reports prepared by the California Department of Insurance investigators, obtained by Consumer Watchdog, show that Mercury Insurance Company used a variety of internal company rules – many unwritten – to overcharge or refuse to sell insurance to many Californians it deemed "unacceptable," including Americans serving in the military, small businesspeople, unmarried people living together, people with diabetes, and the unemployed. One of the illegal techniques used by Mercury – surcharging drivers who didn't have insurance at some point in the past – would be legalized by Prop 17 on the June ballot, which Mercury is sponsoring.

Read the reports and a summary by Consumer Watchdog at http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/insurance/articles/?storyId=32615 .

Consumer Watchdog will call on national and state military leaders and consumers to rebuke Mercury. The group is forwarding the new information with a letter to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, with a request that the military investigate and act upon nationwide discrimination against servicemen and women by Mercury Insurance. Mercury is already surcharging soldiers in other states while it attempts to lift the current ban in California through Prop 17.

Also on Monday, Mercury insurance will be holding an investor call at 10 am PST:

"All interested investors will be able to access the conference call at (877) 807-1888…The conference ID# is 50251265."

SOURCE Consumer Watchdog