Thomas E. Hampton, the “former” commissioner of the D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB), was apparently fired this week after working in the District’s agency for 21 years, according to IFAwebnews.com.

A Washington Post blogger cited an angry D.C. Mayor Fenty, who appointed a friend of his wife as the new head of DISB. Curiously, the husband of the new head, Gennet Purcell, was a recent D.C.  Contract Appeals Board member who was let go after being disbarred in Maryland.

The Washington City Paper wrote that Hampton might have been fired because he didn’t have the kahunas (or was too much of an insurance insider) to go after up to $300 million that the District says it is owed by CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. At least one D.C. Council member seems to think so.

But another D.C. Council member, who like the mayor is a Democrat, told IFAwebnews.com  that the “firing,” in his viewpoint, is a surprise and that Hampton was “helpful,” and never had a complaint lodged against him.

Having known and seen his work over the past few years, I can say that Hampton appeared to be an adequate insurance commissioner, and was always very cooperative with our media company whenever we requested DISB assistance.

So was his firing based on politics? Personality? Will this plot thicken?