2022 Press Releases

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• 9/15/2022 Attorney General Tong Seeks Answers from M&T Bank Regarding Connecticut Job Commitments, Customer Service

  Attorney General William Tong issued a letter to M&T Bank expressing concern and seeking information regarding numerous complaints from consumers and employees following the conversion from People’s United Bank.

• 9/27/2022 Attorney General Tong Joins Multistate Coalition Defending the Right to Interstate Travel to Seek Abortions

  Attorney General William Tong joined a multistate coalition of 21 attorneys general submitting an amicus brief in Fund Texas Choice v. Paxton to protect the right of individuals to travel out of Texas to obtain an abortion.

• 8/16/2022 Attorney General Tong Praises U.S. Department of Education Approval of $3.9 Billion Loan Discharge for ITT Technical Institute Students

  Attorney General William Tong today praised a decision by the U.S. Department of Education discharging all remaining federal student loans for borrowers attending ITT Technical Institute from January 1, 2005 through its closure in September 2016.

• 6/2/2022 Attorney General Tong Praises U.S. Department of Education Decision Discharging $14.5 Million in Debt for Connecticut Students Who Attended Corinthian Colleges

  Attorney General William Tong today praised a decision by the U.S. Department of Education to discharge all remaining federal student loan debt incurred to attend Corinthian Colleges—$5.8 billion for 560,000 people. The action will provide at least $14.5 million in relief for 1,210 Connecticut student borrowers.

• 8/2/2022 Attorney General Tong Announces Nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force

  Attorney General William Tong today announced the formation of a nationwide Anti-Robocall Litigation Task Force of 50 states to investigate and take legal action against the telecommunications companies responsible for bringing a majority of foreign robocalls into the United States. This bipartisan nationwide Task Force has one goal: to cut down on illegal robocalls.

• 12/19/2022 Ahead of Busy Travel Season, Attorney General Tong Calls for Stronger Consumer Protections Against Airline Abuses

  Attorney General William Tong today led a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general urging the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to take stronger measures to protect consumers from airline abuses, and to work with state attorneys general to meaningfully address the unacceptable level of airline consumer complaints.

• 8/26/2022 Attorney General Tong Announces $22 Million False Claims Settlement with Essilor

  Attorney General William Tong announced today that Connecticut has joined 34 other states in settling allegations of kickbacks paid to referring providers against Essilor International, Essilor of America Inc., Essilor Laboratories of America Inc., and Essilor Instruments USA (Essilor), headquartered in Dallas. Essilor manufactures, markets, and distributes optical lenses and equipment used to produce optical lenses. Pursuant to the settlement, Essilor will pay the United States and 35 states a total of $22 million plus interest. The Connecticut Medicaid program will be paid $999,698.91 through the settlement.

• 8/31/2022 Attorney General Tong Announces Settlement With Frontier Communications to Expand High-Speed Internet Access, End Hidden Internet Fee, and Protect Consumers From Unacceptable Marketing and Sales Tactics

  Attorney General William Tong today announced a settlement with Frontier Communications worth over $60 million to dramatically expand access to high-speed internet for Frontier customers in economically distressed communities, end a hidden monthly $6.99 internet surcharge, and force significant improvements in Frontier’s marketing and customer service. The settlement resolves a joint investigation by the Office of the Attorney General and Department of Consumer Protection into whether Frontier deceived or misled consumers in the marketing and sales of internet services.

• 12/13/2022 Attorney General Tong Urges FCC to Create Anti-Robotext Protections

  Attorney General William Tong today supported the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) proposal to help cut down on unwanted text messages by requiring mobile wireless providers to block texts from invalid, unassigned, or unused numbers, and from numbers on a Do Not Originate (DNO) list.

• 5/4/2022 Attorney General Tong Secures $1.2 Million for Connecticut Consumers Deceived by TurboTax

  Attorney General William Tong today secured $1.2 million in restitution for 40,841 Connecticut consumers from the owner of TurboTax, Intuit Inc. (Intuit) who deceived consumers into paying for tax services that should have been free.

• 12/14/2022 Attorney General Tong Statement on Sandy Hook Anniversary

  Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on the tenth anniversary of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

• 8/1/2022 Attorney General Tong Announces Settlement with U.S. Postal Service to End Unlawful Cigarette Shipments

  Attorney General William Tong today announced a settlement with the United States Postal Service (USPS) that implements robust measures to end foreign shippers’ unlawful practice of mailing cigarettes into the United States.

• 7/19/2022 Attorney General Tong Announces $1.8 Million Settlement with Eversource Over Unfair and Deceptive Natural Gas Marketing Allegations

  Attorney General William Tong today announced a $1.8 million settlement with Eversource over alleged false and deceptive high-pressure tactics seeking to entice consumers to convert to natural gas.

• 12/1/2022 Attorney General Tong Joins Brief in Support of LGBTQ+ Workers

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of`18 attorneys general in filing a brief in support of a substitute teacher at a North Carolina Catholic high school who was terminated after announcing plans to marry his same-sex partner, arguing that the First Amendment does not give an employer the right to illegally discriminate against an employee because of their sex.

• 4/1/2022 Attorney General Tong Releases Guidance on Gas Tax Holiday Complaints

  Attorney General William Tong today released consumer guidance on reporting suspected violations of the state gas tax holiday.