2019 Press Releases

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• 7/21/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG TO DEFEND CONNECTICUT'S PARDON SYSTEM, IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS AT ORAL ARGUMENT BEFORE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT

  Attorney General William Tong will defend the legitimacy of Connecticut's pardon process in oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston tomorrow.

• 5/15/2019 AG TONG JOINS 25-STATE COALITION OPPOSING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ROLLBACK OF COMMON-SENSE PROTECTIONS FOR PAYDAY LOAN BORROWERS

  Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 25 states opposing the Trump Administration’s efforts to eliminate rules protecting consumers from abusive payday and vehicle title loans.

• 3/20/2019 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.

• 10/14/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG APPLAUDS ENERGY EFFICIENCY COURT VICTORY

  Attorney General William Tong today applauded a decision from the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, affirming the U.S. Department of Energy's obligation to publish its finalized energy efficiency standards. The decision affirms a previous order by the district court.

• 6/24/2019 TONG OPPOSES CHANGES TO CALCULATION OF FEDERAL POVERTY THRESHOLD

  Attorney General William Tong today announced Connecticut has joined a multistate coalition of 21 attorneys general, led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and New York Attorney General Letitia James, in submitting a comment letter to the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB), opposing a proposal to change the way the federal poverty threshold is calculated. According to the attorneys general, the proposed adjustment could result in millions of Americans becoming ineligible for, or entitled to less, government-funded benefits.

• 2/27/2019 AG TONG, CONSUMER COUNSEL SUPPORT $1.5 MILLION FINE, PENALTIES FOR DIRECT ENERGY ELECTRIC SUPPLIER

  Attorney General William Tong and Consumer Counsel Elin Swanson Katz today strongly supported a proposed decision by the Public Utilities Regulatory Counsel to fine third-party electric supplier Direct Energy $1.5 million for multiple sales and marketing practices in violation of Connecticut statutes.

• 12/25/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG NAMED CO-CHAIRMAN OF NAAG INTERNET SECURITY/CYBER PRIVACY AND SECURITY COMMITTEE

  Attorney General William Tong has been named co-chairman of the National Association of Attorneys General Internet Safety/Cyber Privacy and Security Committee, continuing to position the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General as a national leader on digital privacy and online consumer protection. Among the issues the committee will examine are digital privacy, child safety online, and security of personal, business and government data.

• 6/23/2019 DRUG PRICE-FIXING COMPLAINT UNSEALED

  Connecticut Attorney General William Tong today released the full, unredacted complaint against Teva Pharmaceuticals and 19 of the nation's largest generic drug manufacturers after the court granted the states' motion to unseal the complaint.

• 4/18/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG, MULTISTATE COALITION FILE BRIEF IN ONGOING LAWSUIT TO PROTECT STATE, MUNICIPALITIES FROM UNLAWFUL RESTRICTIONS ON PUBLIC SAFETY GRANTS

  Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of six other Attorneys General in filing a brief today in their lawsuit to block the Trump administration’s efforts to punish so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions by putting immigration-related conditions on the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program (Byrne JAG), a federal law enforcement grant.

• 8/15/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG JOINS MULTISTATE COALITION OPPOSING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RULE RESTRICTING ASYLUM ACCESS

  Connecticut Attorney General William Tong today joined a multistate coalition, led by California and Massachusetts, in filing a comment letter opposing the Trump Administration’s attempt to illegally limit access to the asylum process. Under the rule, individuals entering the United States at the southern border, except in limited circumstances, are no longer able to seek asylum unless they applied for and were denied protection in at least one country they transited through prior to their arrival. In a comment letter, the coalition urges the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to rescind the policy.

• 5/14/2019 LEGISLATION TO STRENGTHEN CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT IN CONNECTICUT PASSES HOUSE

• 4/23/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT ARGUMENTS ON CENSUS CITIZENSHIP QUESTION

• 4/22/2019 CONSUMER PROTECTION COMMISSIONER AND ATTORNEY GENERAL URGE FAMILIES TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT CHARITY DONATIONS IN WAKE OF SRI LANKA BOMBINGS

  The Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull, and Attorney General William Tong are urging those who wish to donate to victims of families of the attacks in Sri Lanka to donate carefully. Scammers often take advantage of those who want to support others after major crisis like this.

• 12/8/2019 WAYZARO WALTON WILL REMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES -- BOARD OF IMMIGRATION APPEALS AFFIRMS THAT CONNECTICUT PARDONS COUNT

  Attorney General William Tong Personally Argued Case Before U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, filed Amicus Brief with Board of Immigration Appeals

• 11/25/2019 ATTORNEY GENERAL TONG, GOVERNOR LAMONT ANNOUNCE APPEAL OF SALT TAX DECISION

  Attorney General William Tong and Governor Ned Lamont announced today that Connecticut has joined a multi-state effort to appeal a U.S. District Court decision that upheld the imposition of a new statutory cap on State and Local Tax (SALT) deductions.