2022 Press Releases

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• 6/13/2022 Attorney General Tong Statement on the Passing of Melody Currey

  Attorney General William Tong released the following statement on the passing of former Commissioner Melody Currey

• 6/30/2022 Attorney General Tong Statement on the Appointment of Mark Kohler as Secretary of the State

  Attorney General William Tong today praised the appointment of Mark Kohler to serve as Secretary of the State.

• 3/2/2022 Attorney General Tong Joins Fellow AGs in Alerting Consumers Impacted by the Massive 2021 T-Mobile Data Breach to Take Steps to Protect Their Personal Information

  Attorney General Tong urges all Connecticut residents who believe they were impacted by the data breach announced by T-Mobile in August 2021 to take appropriate steps to protect their information from identity theft.

• 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.

• 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.

• 3/9/2022 Attorney General Tong Files $5 Million Stipulation Judgment Against Safe Home Security

  Attorney General William Tong and Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull announced today the filing of a $5 million stipulation judgment against Safe Home Security and its president David Roman after the Middletown-based company repeatedly failed over many years to comply with court-ordered consumer protection measures.

• 5/16/2022 Attorney General Tong Leads Bipartisan, Nationwide Coalition Defending Affordable Drug Prices

  Attorney General William Tong today led a bipartisan, nationwide coalition of attorneys general in two amicus briefs defending affordable drug prices before the United States Courts of Appeals for the Third Circuit and District of Columbia.

• 3/2/2022 Attorney General Tong Announces Investigation Into TikTok

  Attorney General William Tong today announced a nationwide investigation into TikTok for providing and promoting its social media platform to children and young adults while use is associated with physical and mental health harms. Attorneys general nationwide are examining whether the company violated state consumer protection laws that put the public at risk.

• 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.

• 8/2/2022 Attorney General Tong Seeks Postponement of Insurance Rate Hearing as Senate Debates "Game Changer" Tax Credit Extension

  Attorney General William Tong today urged the Connecticut Insurance Department to halt all consideration and planning for the August 15 public hearing on requested insurance rate adjustments for on-exchange policies offered by ConnectiCare and Anthem as the U.S. Senate debates extension of the Federal Advance Premium Tax Credit.

• 10/11/2022 Attorney General Tong Announces New Actions to Protect Abortion in Connecticut

  Joined by medical professionals, lawyers, advocates and legislators, Attorney General William Tong today announced Connecticut’s participation in a pro bono Legal Assistance Abortion Hotline, tapping into a volunteer network of trained private attorneys to provide free legal guidance and representation to patients and providers regarding their rights to access and provide abortion. Additionally, Attorney General Tong announced he will appoint a new Special Counsel for Reproductive Rights to lead the Office of the Attorney General in protecting abortion access and reproductive care in Connecticut and anywhere those rights are challenged nationwide.

• 1/11/2022 Attorney General Tong Works to Stop International Scam Calls

  Attorney General William Tong today urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to put in place measures that will help stem the tide of foreign-based illegal robocalls that attempt to scam Americans. Today’s comment letter to the FCC was led by North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, and Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge.

• 7/21/2022 Attorney General Tong Announces Multistate Agreement Recovering $34.2 Million for Thousands of U.S. Servicemembers Defrauded by Harris Jewelry

  Attorney General William Tong today announced a $34.2 million settlement between 18 states, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Harris Jewelry that will provide refunds and relief to 46,000 servicemembers and veterans deceived and defrauded by the national jewelry retailer.

• 8/19/2022 Attorney General Tong Urges U.S. Supreme Court To Reject Challenge To Key Law Protecting Rights Of Native American Children, Families, And Tribes

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a bipartisan coalition of 24 attorneys general, led by California, in filing an amicus brief in Haaland v. Brackeen urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reject a challenge to longstanding protections guaranteed to Native American children, their families, and tribal communities under the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA).

• 8/18/2022 Attorney General Tong Joins Coalition Of 17 Attorneys General Opposing Florida’s Defense Of Discriminatory Voting Law

  Attorney General William Tong joined a group of 17 attorneys general opposing Florida’s discriminatory law that would make it more difficult for millions of Floridians—especially the elderly, people with disabilities, and people living in communities of color—to vote.