Ricardo Lara, the California Insurance Commissioner, has continued to fight criticism over his visit last week to the Bermuda Risk Summit.

He returned to Sacramento to a storm of controversy, having missed the state legislature’s first meeting of the year.

CBS TV affiliate KCAL said questions remained over his work to protect Californians after the devastating wildfires, and his provisional approval to allow insurer State Farm Insurance to raise homeowner rates in the state by about 22 per cent.

State Farm has to come back with financial justification by April 8.

But the CBS affiliate said more critics repeated discontentment with the commissioner’s close relationship with industry leaders, dozens of whom were at the Bermuda conference.

Mr Lara's office answered back that the commissioner delivered a keynote address at the conference.

The report said staff noted the significant source of global reinsurance found on the island including those that cover residents affected by the Los Angeles County fires.

Michael Soller, California’s deputy insurance commissioner, was quoted: “Nearly 40 per cent of the world's reinsurance companies are based in Bermuda, paying out trillions of dollars in claims — including those for wildfires.

“Lara delivered a keynote address aimed at guaranteeing insurance companies continue to write policies in California.”

But Carmen Balber, an executive director with Consumer Watchdog, said the timing was not ideal.

Consumer Watchdog is a non-profit organisation that advocates for taxpayer and consumer interests.

Ms Balber was quoted: “I think most Californians, especially those who are currently trying to recover from the tragedies in Los Angeles, would hope the insurance commissioner would be here at home helping them recover from those tragedies, not off on a junket in Bermuda.”

She added: “Unfortunately, this is not the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last, that we see the commissioner off on a foreign trip in an exotic locale, at an ‘insurance meeting’. That still raises eyebrows for consumers.“

The TV news commentator said: “State Farm wants to raise rates for homeowners by 22 per cent. Now, after the fires, insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara’s job is to make sure that the request is essential, and that its fair to policyholders. And while all this plays out, we’ve learnt the commissioner went to Bermuda, at a resort with dozens of insurance executives.”