2019 Press Releases

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• 2/21/2019 AG, DCP URGE CONSUMERS TO USE PAYLESS SHOESOURCE GIFT CARDS BEFORE RETAIL OUTLET SHUTTERS ITS U.S. STORES

  Attorney General William Tong and Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull today advised Connecticut consumers who may have unused gift cards to Payless ShoeSource to use those credits before the discount shoe chain is slated to close its U.S. stores.

• 3/21/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG ISSUES CONSUMER WARNING REGARDING SPORTS MEDIA ADVERTISING

  Attorney General William Tong today warned local businesses to avoid business with Texas-based Sports Media Advertising (SMA), which appears to be actively engaged in scams targeting Connecticut businesses and schools.

• 5/24/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG JOINS MULTISTATE COALITION TO OPPOSE FEDERAL ROLLBACK OF OVERTIME PROTECTIONS

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 15 state attorneys general in urging the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) not to adopt its proposal which reverses federal overtime protections for workers.

• 11/14/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG OPPOSES TRUMP PLAN TO GUT LEGAL IMMIGRATION AND DESTABILIZE ACA HEALTH EXCHANGES

  Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general and New York City in support of a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration's Health Insurance Proclamation that would simultaneously slash legal immigration and destabilize health exchanges established under the Affordable Care Act.

• 5/22/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG CONTINUES FIGHT TO PROTECT THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, JOINS COALITION OF 21 ATTORNEYS GENERAL CHALLENGING BASELESS ATTACKS ON AFFORDABLE CARE ACT

  Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition 20 states and the District of Columbia led by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra in filing a response in Texas v. U.S., defending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the healthcare of tens of millions of Americans. Today’s brief, filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, argues that every provision of the ACA remains valid. It further argues that the position taken by the Trump Administration and the Texas-led coalition is legally incorrect and dangerous to our healthcare system.

• 5/31/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG STATEMENT ON DEFERRED ACTION FOR SUJITNO SAJUTI

  Attorney General William Tong issued the following statement regarding Sujitno Sajuti, who will leave sanctuary today after being granted deferred action and relief from deportation.

• 3/28/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS WARN AGAINST FEE FOR BENEFITS SCHEME

  After becoming aware that Connecticut veterans have been charged potentially illegal fees for preparation of veterans' benefit applications, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong and Connecticut Commissioner of Veterans Affairs Thomas Saadi urged veterans and their families to immediately report such schemes and reminded the public that it is illegal to charge for preparation or presentation of veterans' benefit applications in most circumstances.

• 9/17/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG CONDEMNS FEDERAL ATTEMPT TO CIRCUMVENT CIVIL RIGHTS PROTECTIONS

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of attorneys general, led by Pennsylvania and California, in opposing a new Trump Administration rule undermining civil rights protections that prevent federal contractors from discriminating against employees.

• 6/19/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG ANNOUNCES INTENTION TO SUE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER REPEAL OF CLEAN POWER PLAN

  Attorney General William Tong announced today his intent to sue the Trump Administration to block the unlawful repeal of the Clean Power Plan.

• 1/10/2019 AG Tong Announces Multistate Settlements with Fiat-Chrysler and Bosch over Defeat Devices in Certain Diesel Passenger Vehicles

  Auto-maker Fiat Chrysler and its subsidiaries will pay $72.5 million to resolve allegations from 51 states and territories that the company manufactured and marketed more than 100,000 model year 2014 to 2016 Ram 1500 trucks and Jeep Grand Cherokee sport utility vehicles with 3.0 liter V6 diesel engines that were equipped with software intended to circumvent emission standards, Attorney General William Tong said today.

• 10/24/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG ANNOUNCES $700 MILLION MULTISTATE FALSE CLAIMS ACT SETTLEMENT WITH RECKITT BENCKISER OVER IMPROPER MARKETING AND SALE OF SUBOXONE

  Attorney General William Tong joined attorneys general nationwide in announcing a $700 million agreement between states, the U.S. Department of Justice and pharmaceutical distributor Reckitt Benckiser Group to settle allegations that the company violated the federal and state False Claims Act by improperly marketing and promoting the drug Suboxone, resulting in improper expenditures of state Medicaid funds.

• 10/16/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG JOINS 18-STATE COALITION DEFENDING VERMONT’S RIGHT TO BAN LARGE-CAPACITY MAGAZINES TO PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE

  Attorney General William Tong joined a group of 18 state Attorneys General in defending Vermont’s right to ban large-capacity magazines and protect public safety. In a friend-of-the-court brief filed in the Vermont Supreme Court, Attorney General Tong and his counterparts argue that states have the right to enact reasonable firearm restrictions that reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by gun violence.

• 6/21/2019 THOUSANDS OF CONSUMERS TO RECEIVE ELECTRIC REFUND CHECKS FOLLOWING THIRD-PARTY SUPPLIER RATE NOTICE ERROR

  Attorney General William Tong announced that thousands of Connecticut consumers will receive refund checks from third-party electric suppliers following systematic rate notice errors dating back to 2016.

• 11/5/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG SUES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FOR ROLLBACK OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR LIGHTBULBS

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 16 attorneys general and the City of New York, in filing a lawsuit against the Department of Energy (DOE) challenging its final rule rolling back energy efficiency standards for certain lightbulbs.

• 6/21/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG ANNOUNCES $2.5 MILLION TO BE PAID TO CANCER CENTERS AFTER LANDMARK LAWSUIT AGAINST SHAM CANCER CHARITIES

  Attorney General William Tong announced that $2.5 million will be distributed to cancer centers across the country as a result of a multistate enforcement action against sham cancer charities.