2020 Press Releases

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• 4/23/2020 Attorney General Tong Recommends Help for Homeowners Affected by COVID-19

  In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Attorney General William Tong and a bipartisan coalition of 35 attorneys general recommended actions to help borrowers with mortgage loans in letters sent to the Federal Housing Finance Administration (FHFA) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

• 8/25/2020 Attorney General Tong Announces $85 Million Multistate Settlement with American Honda Motor Company, Inc. and Honda of America Mfg., Inc.

  Attorney General William Tong today announced that Connecticut has helped secure a more that $85 million multistate settlement with American Honda Motor Co., Inc. and Honda of America Mfg., Inc. (collectively “Honda”), over allegations Honda concealed safety issues related to defects in the frontal airbag systems installed in certain Honda and Acura vehicles sold in the United States. The systems were designed and manufactured by Takata Corporation, a long-time Honda supplier, and were first installed in Honda vehicles in the 2001 model year.

• 1/24/2020 Attorney General Tong Files Amicus Briefs Opposing Massive Expansion of Expedited Removal Process, Fights to Protect Residents from Erroneous Deportation

  Attorney General William Tong joined two amicus briefs filed this week in the U.S. Supreme Court and D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in opposition to Trump Administration efforts to vastly expand use of expedited removal proceedings. Expedited removal is a fast-tracked deportation process that denies access to legal representation, witnesses, or any meaningful opportunity to present evidence or a defense.

• 1/15/2020 Attorney General Tong Opposes Trump Administration Rule that Would End the Right of Student Workers to Bargain Collectively

  Attorney General William Tong this week joined a coalition of 12 other attorneys general from across the country calling on the Trump Administration to withdraw a proposed rule that would deny student teaching and research assistants at private colleges the right to organize and bargain collectively.

• 6/22/2020 Attorney General Tong Files Brief Challenging the Trump Administration’s Refusal to Open a Special Enrollment Period on HealthCare.Gov in Response to COVID-19

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general filing an amicus brief in support of the City of Chicago’s lawsuit challenging U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) refusal to create a special enrollment period in response to COVID-19 for individuals in the 38 states that rely on the federal exchange, HealthCare.Gov, for health insurance.

• 9/11/2020 Census Win-- Court Rules Undocumented Immigrants Must be Included in Congressional Apportionment

  A three-judge panel in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York yesterday sided with Connecticut and a coalition of states, blocking the Trump Administration from excluding undocumented immigrants from the apportionment base following the conclusion of the 2020 census.

• 8/7/2020 Attorney General Tong Announces Joint State/Federal Settlement With Bristol Oral Surgeon Over Bills For Nonpermitted Dental Services

  Attorney General William Tong today announced a $149,000 joint state/federal settlement with Bristol oral surgeon Ean James regarding claims he submitted to the state’s Medicaid program for administering anesthesia and conscious sedation services to his patients after his permit had expired.

• 9/11/2020 Attorney General William Tong Urges Cable Providers to Reimburse Customers for Lost Service during Outages Caused by Tropical Storm Isaias

  Attorney General William Tong is urging cable companies reimburse customers for lost services during the widespread days long power outages caused by Tropical Storm Isaias in August.

• 9/24/2020 AG Tong Announces $60 Million Multistate Settlement with C.R. Bard

  Attorney General William Tong today announced a settlement by 48 states and the District of Columbia with C.R. Bard, Inc. and its parent company Becton, Dickinson and Company requiring payment of $60 million for the deceptive marketing of transvaginal surgical mesh devices.

• 8/10/2020 Attorney General Tong Reminds Consumers and Retailers that Price Gouging is Illegal

  With thousands of Connecticut households still without power in the midst of a global pandemic, Attorney General William Tong reminded consumer and retailers that price gouging is illegal during both civil preparedness and public health emergencies.

• 9/10/2020 As Mail Delays Continue, Attorney General Tong and State Attorneys General Seek Court Order to Protect USPS Operations

  As mail delays continue, Attorney General William Tong joined a multistate coalition of attorneys general seeking a court order to block operational changes at the U.S. Postal Service ahead of the November election.

• 11/4/2020 Attorney General Tong Moves to Revoke or Reduce Pensions of Former Bridgeport Police Chief and Personnel Director

  Attorney General William Tong has moved to revoke or reduce the pensions of former Bridgeport Police Chief Armando “A.J.” Perez and Personnel Director David Dunn following federal guilty pleas involving the scheme to award Perez the Chief of Police position under false and fraudulent pretenses. Both men have pleaded guilty to federal Wire Fraud and False Statements charges.

• 4/8/2020 Attorney General Tong and Consumer Protection Commissioner Seagull Announce Investigation Into Frontier Communications Following Over 1,000 Consumer Complaints

  Attorney General William Tong and Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull today announced an investigation into Frontier Communications following consumer complaints regarding excessive charges, poor service quality and unsatisfactory customer service that began after Frontier acquired Southern New England Telephone Company (SNET) in 2014.

• 7/15/2020 Attorney General Tong Sues U.S. Department of Education for Unlawfully Repealing Critical "Borrower Defense" Regulations

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in a lawsuit against Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) challenging the unlawful repeal the 2016 “borrower defense” regulations protecting student-borrowers.

• 3/17/2020 Attorney General Tong Provides Update on Coronavirus Price Gouging Complaints

  Attorney General William Tong today announced that the Office of the Attorney General has received 71 complaints regarding large price hikes on basic supplies like hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and toilet paper since Gov. Ned Lamont declared civil preparedness and public health emergencies on March 10 in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.