2020 Press Releases

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• 1/23/2020 AG Tong Announces Lawsuit to Block Release of 3D Printed Gun Files

  Attorney General William Tong issued the following statement after Connecticut and 20 other states filed a federal lawsuit (LINK TO COMPLAINT) challenging the Trump Administration’s effort to allow online release of 3D-printed gun files. These files would allow plug-and-play access to 3D-print unregistered, untraceable firearms that can also be very difficult to detect, even with a metal detector. Untraceable firearms are sometimes called “ghost guns.”

• 11/18/2020 Attorney General Tong Announces $113 Million Settlement with Apple over iPhone Throttling

  Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of over 30 other attorneys general announcing a $113 million settlement with Apple, Inc. over iPhone throttling that the company engaged in in 2016 to address unexpected shutdowns in certain devices. Under the settlement, Apple will pay $1.8 million to Connecticut.

• 9/25/2020 Attorney General Tong Statement on Court Decision Barring Trump Administration Effort to Undermine Census Count

  Attorney General William Tong issued a statement following a preliminary injunction issued by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California barring the Trump Administration from arbitrarily ending the census count a month before its scheduled completion date.

• 1/21/2020 Attorney General Tong Joins Fight to Halt Immigration Arrests at State Courthouses

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general supporting Washington State's fight to halt ICE arrests of immigrants in and around state courthouses.

• 7/21/2020 AG Tong Sues EPA Over New Rule Undermining Mercury and Air Toxics Standards

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 25 states, cities and counties in suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its rule reversing the agency’s determination — first made nearly 20 years ago — that it is “appropriate and necessary” under the Clean Air Act to regulate mercury and other toxic air pollution from coal- and oil-fired power plants.

• 7/7/2020 Attorney General Tong Statement on DHS Student Visa Rule Change

  Attorney General William Tong issued the following statement on ICE's proposed rule change that would force international students to leave the country if their universities move classes online.

• 11/13/2020 Attorney General Tong Calls on AG Barr to Reverse New Policy That 'Will Erode the Public's Confidence in the Election'

  Attorney General William Tong today called on U.S. Attorney General William Barr to reverse his abrupt change to a 40-year-old U.S. Department of Justice policy that until this week had kept the department from interfering with election results. In a letter today to Attorney General Barr, Attorney General Tong and a coalition of 23 total attorneys general voiced their “strong objection” to this policy reversal, which they said “will erode the public’s confidence in the election,” and called on him to “reverse your decision promptly.”

• 12/18/2020 Attorney General Tong Announces $2 Million Multistate Settlement with CafePress Over 2019 Data Breach

  Attorney General William Tong today announced that a coalition of seven states has reached a $2 million settlement with CafePress, Inc. stemming from a 2019 data breach of its user database that compromised the personal information of approximately 22 million consumers, including more than 236,000 Connecticut residents.

• 12/23/2020 Attorney General Tong Files Amicus Brief in Support of Lawsuit Challenging Permit for Keystone XL Pipeline

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 12 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in support of environmental groups’ challenge to the Keystone XL Pipeline.

• 2/24/2020 Connecticut, Florida, Nevada, Oregon, Texas Announce Bipartisan Multistate Investigation Into JUUL

  Attorneys General from Connecticut, Florida, Nevada, Oregon and Texas today announced a bipartisan, multistate investigation into JUUL Labs. The 39-state multistate coalition is investigating JUUL’s marketing and sales practices, including targeting of youth, claims regarding nicotine content, and statements regarding risks, safety and effectiveness as a smoking cessation device.

• 12/4/2020 Attorney General Tong Joins Coalition Opposing Dangerous HHS Deregulation by the Trump Administration

  In the middle of the pandemic, a proposed Health and Human Services rule would put trillions of dollars in federal funding, programs, and services at risk for states and their residents

• 7/29/2020 AG Tong Secures Refunds and Assistance for Passion Play Tour

  Attorney General William Tong announced he has reached an agreement with NAWAS International Travel to provide refunds and rescheduled bookings for hundreds of consumers who had booked trips to view the 2020 Passion Play in Germany.

• 9/30/2020 AG Tong, FTC, State, and Federal Law Enforcement Partners Announce Nationwide Crackdown on Phantom and Abusive Debt Collection

  ‘Operation Corrupt Collector’ targets debt collectors trying to collect on non-existent debts, using illegal scare tactics

• 1/16/2020 Connecticut Sues to Block Federal Plan to Eliminate Food Assistance for Nearly 700,000 Struggling Americans

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a group of 15 attorneys general and New York City in a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from eliminating food assistance for nearly 700,000 Americans – including almost 26,000 people in Connecticut.

• 11/25/2020 A Thanksgiving Message from Attorney General William Tong