Getting it straight

The Democrat-Gazette wants its news reports to be fair and accurate. We correct all errors of fact. If you know of an error, write: Frank Fellone Deputy Editor P.O. Box 2221 Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or call 378-3475 during business hours Monday through Friday.

An article published in Thursday’s editions about the Oct. 16 reprimand Carlton Saffa received from the state Insurance Department incorrectly stated that he had no comment. Saffa, now an aide to Gov. Asa Hutchinson, declined to be interviewed for the story, but he did release a written statement through a Hutchinson spokesman: “There was no need to maintain my license because of the recent career shift. I regret that out of the thousands of transactions I was involved in my 14 years in insurance and management that there were a handful of customers who had what they felt was a bad experience. Those individuals were all fully refunded or reimbursed their premium dollars due to that dissatisfaction.”

Before working for the governor, Saffa worked for Washington National Insurance Co. The company provided a written statement through spokesman Barbara Ciesemier that wasn’t included in the story: “Carlton Saffa was contracted as an agent with Washington National from May 2001 until February 2015. Washington National takes its responsibility in the marketplace very seriously, and is committed to serving the needs of our customers through compliant sales practices and the highest ethical standards.”