2020 Press Releases

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• 7/17/2020 Attorney General Tong Seeks Dismissal of Absentee Ballot Challenge

  Attorney General William Tong will personally argue before the Connecticut Supreme Court Monday seeking to dismiss a challenge to the state’s absentee ballot provisions protecting voters in the August primary during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.

• 4/23/2020 Attorney General Tong Statement on Trump Immigration Proclamation

  Attorney General William Tong issued a statement regarding President Donald Trump’s immigration proclamation.

• 5/26/2020 Attorney General Tong Joins 38 AGs Urging Congress to Fund Expanded Access to Broadband

  Attorney General William Tong has joined 38 attorneys general in urging Congress to help ensure that all Americans have the home internet connectivity necessary to participate in telemedicine, teleschooling, and telework as part of any additional legislation that provides relief and recovery resources related to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 2/14/2020 State Secures Custody of Neglected Animals Seized from Suffield Farm

  This morning in Hartford Superior Court, the State secured custody of nearly 200 severely neglected animals seized from a Suffield farm last month.

• 3/11/2020 Attorney General Tong Announces Settlement Ending Connecticut's Challenge to T-Mobile, Sprint Merger

  Attorney General William Tong today announced a settlement with T-Mobile, resolving the state’s challenge to the company’s merger with Sprint. The settlement includes terms to protect low income subscribers, extend access to underserved communities, protect current T-Mobile and Sprint employees, and preserve jobs in Connecticut. T-Mobile will reimburse Connecticut for the costs and fees of its investigation and its litigation challenging the merger. This settlement ends the legal challenge brought by Attorney General Tong and a multistate coalition, which alleged that the merger was unlawful and would lead to reduced competition and increased prices for consumers. Connecticut and the plaintiff states will not appeal the court’s ruling in the matter.

• 8/11/2020 AG Tong Escalates Legal Actions to Hold Eversource and UI Accountable for Failed Storm Response

  In a series of motions filed Tuesday, Attorney General William Tong escalated his legal actions to hold Eversource and United Illuminating accountable for their failed storm response. In a motion before the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority – which by law serves as the principal regulator and legal forum in which to make claims against the utilities – Attorney General Tong demanded once again that PURA open a contested case and prudence review-- legal proceedings which would enable the Attorney General to make the strongest claims on behalf of ratepayers and the state; seek fines, penalties and injunctive relief; and oppose the utilities’ requests for profits and reimbursement of storm-related costs. Failure by PURA to do so at the onset of the investigation could “set the stage for an endless series of related proceedings taking years to reach conclusion,” Attorney General Tong cautioned.

• 5/14/2020 Attorney General Tong Urges Wedding Venues and Vendors to Work Collaboratively With Couples as COVID19 Impacts Peak Wedding Season

  As Connecticut enters its peak wedding season, Attorney General William Tong today urged vendors to work with couples forced to cancel and postpone their weddings due to COVID-19. The Office of the Attorney General has received multiple complaints from couples recently who have been denied refunds, quoted high fees, and given limited flexibility in attempting to reschedule weddings planned for this spring and summer.

• 2/4/2020 Attorney General Tong, DSS Commissioner Gifford Announce $200,000 Settlement and Suspension Agreement with East Hartford Behavioral Health Providers, Resolving False Claims Act Lawsuit

  Attorney General William Tong and Connecticut Department of Social Services Commissioner Deidre S. Gifford announced today that an East Hartford company and its owner have agreed to pay $200,000, and will be suspended from participating in the Connecticut Medical Assistance Program (CMAP) for a period of five years, for allegedly engaging in a systematic and persistent pattern of submitting false claims to the CMAP, which includes the state's Medicaid program.

• 11/24/2020 Attorney General Tong Files Motion for Summary Judgment in Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration Assault on Clean Water Act Protections

  – Attorney General William Tong today joined a multistate coalition in filing a motion for summary judgment in their lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s unlawful final rule redefining “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act.

• 9/17/2020 AG Tong Releases Statement After Court Blocks Politically Motivated Attack on Postal Service, Issues Nationwide Injunction Following Connecticut, Multistate Suit

  Attorney General William Tong issued the following statement after a federal judge issued a nationwide injunction blocking a “politically-motivated attack” on the U.S. Postal Service ahead of the November election.

• 11/23/2020 Attorney General Tong Urges Rejection of Frontier Buyout

  Attorney General William Tong today urged the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority to deny a change of ownership sought by Frontier Communications.

• 4/16/2020 Office of the Attorney General Aids Consumers with COVID-19 Travel Concerns

  The Office of the Attorney General has received over 100 complaints from consumers seeking assistance obtaining refunds for travel cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Complaints include consumers unable to get refunds from airlines, challenges cancelling and postponing cruises, and difficulties cancelling or changing hotel reservations.

• 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.

• 3/13/2020 Attorney General Tong Announces PURA Has Granted Emergency Moratorium on Utility Shut Offs

  Attorney General William Tong announced today that the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority has granted an emergency moratorium on electric, natural gas, and water utility shut-offs in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Office of the Attorney General filed a formal petition Thursday seeking to cease all utility service terminations for a 30 day period subject to renewal to ensure all residents may safely remain home during the epidemic.

• 5/5/2020 AG Tong Urges Telecom Industry to Expand Illegal Robocall Response

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a bipartisan coalition of 52 attorneys general in calling on USTelecom and its Industry Traceback Group (ITG) to expand its collaboration with state attorneys general by bolstering technological capabilities to improve enforcement against illegal robocallers.