2015 Press Releases

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• 5/19/2015 AG, DCP Join Historic Multistate Lawsuit Against Four Sham Cancer Charities; Announce Settlement with Related Sham Charities

  Attorney General George Jepsen and the state Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan A. Harris today announced that Connecticut, all 49 other states, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Trade Commission have jointly filed a federal lawsuit against four sham cancer charities and those responsible for their operation. A historic and cooperative effort, the states allege that Cancer Fund of America, Children's Cancer Fund of America, Cancer Support Services and The Breast Cancer Society made misrepresentations to donors by portraying themselves as legitimate charities that provided relief to cancer patients. In addition, the FTC and the plaintiff states charge the defendants with misrepresenting specific program benefits and violating the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule, which prohibits deceptive charitable solicitations.

• 12/16/2015 AG Jepsen: Connecticut Joins Federal Settlement with AMC, Starplex Requiring Divestiture of Berlin Movie Theater

  Connecticut has joined the Department of Justice (DOJ) in a complaint and proposed settlement with AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (AMC) and SMH Theaters, Inc. (Starplex Cinemas) to resolve concerns that AMC's purchase of a Connecticut Starplex theater would substantially harm competition for Connecticut consumers, Attorney General George Jepsen said today.

• 6/25/2015 AG Jepsen, Consumer Counsel Katz Welcome PURA Draft Decision Delaying Any Closure of Eversource's Simsbury Work Center

  Attorney General George Jepsen and Consumer Counsel Elin Swanson Katz today welcomed a draft decision issued by the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority that would delay the proposed closure of Eversource Energy's facilities in Simsbury until more information is known about the impact of previous closing of work centers around the state.

• 10/8/2015 AG Jepsen Encourages Consumers to Take Advantage of Credit Monitoring Services in Wake of T-Mobile/Experian Breach

  Attorney General George Jepsen is encouraging all Connecticut residents affected by the recent T-Mobile and Experian data breach to take advantage of the free credit monitoring services being offered.

• 6/18/2015 AG Jepsen Files False Claims Act Complaint Alleging Psychiatrist Knowingly Submitted False Claims to the Connecticut Medicaid Program

  Attorney General George Jepsen announced today that he has filed a complaint in Hartford Superior Court under the Connecticut False Claims Act seeking treble damages and other relief stemming from an alleged long-running scheme to submit false claims to the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CMAP) from January 2010 through December 2014.

• 11/6/2015 AG Jepsen, Hartford Hospital, Contractor Reach Agreement Resolving Investigation into Breach of Unencrypted Patient Information

  Hartford Hospital and the EMC Corporation will pay $90,000 and have agreed to institute additional training and control measures to resolve an investigation into the 2012 theft of a laptop containing unencrypted patient information, Attorney General George Jepsen said today.

• 11/14/2015 AG Jepsen Joins Coalition in Defense of EPA Clean Power Plan

  Attorney General George Jepsen announced today that Connecticut has joined a coalition of 25 states, cities and counties in filing a motion to intervene to defend the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan against legal challenges.

• 9/28/2015 AG Jepsen Joins Colleagues in Urging Passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015

  Attorney General Jepsen has joined attorneys general from 36 other states and the District of Columbia in sending a letter to the leadership of the Committee on the Judiciary for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives urging passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015 (S. 524/HR 953). The proposed law would provide states with important tools to be more effective in confronting the growing challenge of heroin and opioid abuse and addiction.

• 7/22/2015 AG Jepsen Joins Colleagues in Urging Phone Carriers to Offer Call-Blocking Technology Customers

  Attorney General George Jepsen has joined 44 other state attorneys general in urging five major telephone companies to offer their customers call-blocking technology to assist them in avoiding unwanted robo-calls. In a letter sent to the chief executives of the carriers, the attorneys general stated that a new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule clarification actually allows telecommunication service providers to offer customers the ability to block unwanted calls. Telephone companies previously claimed that federal law administered by the FCC prohibits them from implementing existing technologies to block robocalls.

• 8/18/2015 AG Jepsen Joins Multistate Effort Supporting Victims of Predatory For-profit Schools

  Attorney General George Jepsen today joined with 10 fellow attorneys general from around the country in calling on the U.S. Department of Education to cancel federal student loans in cases where Corinthian Colleges and other for-profit colleges and universities have broken state law, including laws prohibiting unfair and deceptive sales practices, and to provide clear processes for students seeking relief.

• 4/9/2015 AG Jepsen Joins Multistate Effort Urging Federal Agency to Provide Relief for Students of Predatory For-Profit Schools

  Attorney General George Jepsen today joined a multistate effort urging the federal Department of Education to take immediate steps to assist student borrowers who have been harmed by for-profit colleges and to immediately relieve borrowers of the obligation to repay federal student loans incurred as a result of violations of state law by Corinthian Colleges, Inc.

• 7/8/2015 AG Jepsen: Joint State-Federal Settlement with Chase Will Reform Credit Card Debt Collection Practices, Cease Collection Actions on 5,000 Connecticut Consumer Accounts

  Connecticut has joined with 46 other states, the District of Columbia and the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a $136 million settlement with Chase Bank USA N.A. and Chase Bankcard Services, Inc. to resolve allegations that the bank engaged in unfair, misleading and deceptive business practices – including so-called "robosigning" – in connection with its consumer credit card debt collection business, Attorney General George Jepsen announced today.

• 12/21/2015 AG Jepsen: State Reaches False Claims Act Settlement with Southington Dental Provider

  A Southington dentist will pay $55,000 to settle civil healthcare fraud allegations involving the filing of false and fraudulent claims for payments from Connecticut's Medicaid program, Attorney General George Jepsen said today.

• 1/12/2015 AG, OCC, Legislators Welcome PURA Draft Decision on Electric Bill Disclosures, Ban on Daily and Weekly Variable Rates

  Attorney General George Jepsen and Consumer Counsel Elin Swanson Katz today filed formal comments supporting a draft decision issued by the state Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) last week that will ensure new, comparative rate information is clearly disclosed on electric customers' monthly bills. The requirements stem from legislation passed last year that required the disclosures after thousands of Connecticut residents who purchased electricity from third-party suppliers complained of skyrocketing bills.

• 3/31/2015 Attorney General Jepsen Announces Changes in Leadership Staff at Office of the Attorney General

  Attorney General George Jepsen today announced several staff changes at the Office of the Attorney General due to retirements and a resignation that have occurred among staff in leadership positions over the past few months.