2020 Press Releases

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• 1/13/2020 An Open Letter from Attorney General William Tong on his First Year in Office

  One year ago, I raised my right hand and took an oath to support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the state of Connecticut, and to faithfully discharge the duties of the Office of Attorney General. It has been my honor and privilege each and every day since then to lead the 313 men and women of this office— our 215 skilled and dedicated attorneys, as well as paralegals, investigators, assistants and more who represent the State and Connecticut's families on the front lines of our legal system.

• 12/7/2020 Attorney General Tong Announces $86.3 Million Settlement with Mortgage Service Nationstar

  Attorney General William Tong joined with 50 other attorneys general and other federal and state agencies today announcing an $86.3 million settlement with Nationstar Mortgage. Nationstar is the country’s fourth-largest mortgage servicer.

• 5/4/2020 Attorney General Tong Announces Settlement with Connecticut Counseling Centers Over Drug Testing Overpayments

  Attorney General William Tong, U.S. Attorney John H. Durham, and Department of Social Services Commissioner Deidre S. Gifford today announced a $295,211 joint federal/state settlement with Connecticut Counseling Centers (CCC) resolving overpayments for drug testing.

• 4/21/2020 Attorney General Tong Announces Price Gouging Investigation Into Five Amazon Retailers

  Attorney General William Tong announced today he has issued civil investigative demands to five online retailers following an internal review by Amazon that flagged large price increases in high-demand items including masks, sanitizer and antibacterial wipes. The civil investigative demands seek detailed information from the five Connecticut vendors on pricing for key retail items in high demand, including wholesale prices paid by the vendors.

• 11/24/2020 Connecticut Co-Leads $17.5 Million Multistate Settlement Over 2014 Home Depot Data Breach

  Attorney General William Tong today announced that Connecticut, along with the attorneys general of 45 other states and the District of Columbia, has obtained a $17.5 million settlement against Georgia-based retailer The Home Depot, resolving a multistate investigation into the 2014 data breach which exposed the payment card information of approximately 40 million Home Depot customers nationwide. The State of Connecticut will collect $1,093,196.25 through this settlement.

• 1/23/2020 AG Tong Announces Lawsuit to Block Release of 3D Printed Gun Files

  Attorney General William Tong issued the following statement after Connecticut and 20 other states filed a federal lawsuit (LINK TO COMPLAINT) challenging the Trump Administration’s effort to allow online release of 3D-printed gun files. These files would allow plug-and-play access to 3D-print unregistered, untraceable firearms that can also be very difficult to detect, even with a metal detector. Untraceable firearms are sometimes called “ghost guns.”

• 3/30/2020 AG Tong DCP, Commissioner Seagull Warn Connecticut Residents of Potential Stimulus Check Scams

  Attorney General William Tong and Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull today warned Connecticut residents to be on the lookout for potential scams involving future stimulus checks from the federal government.

• 3/31/2020 AG Tong Announces False Claims Settlement With Optician Your Eyes of New Britain

  Attorney General William Tong today announced a $263,488 civil False Claims Act settlement with Your Eyes of New Britain regarding overbilling for eyeglass refitting. Your Eyes of New Britain provides vision care services including the design, manufacture, fitting, and dispensing of prescription eyeglasses

• 11/2/2020 AG Tong Leads Coalition Opposing Trump Order Appearing to Ban Implicit Bias Training

  Attorney General William Tong led a coalition of attorneys general urging President Donald Trump to rescind his Executive Order on “Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping” that could be misconstrued to prohibit implicit bias trainings for federal contractors and federal grantees.

• 3/2/2020 Connecticut Announces $4.9 Million State/Federal False Claims Settlement with Middletown Doctor Couple

  Attorney General William Tong, U.S. Attorney John H. Durham, Comptroller Kevin Lembo and Connecticut Department of Social Services Commissioner Deidre S. Gifford announced today that Connecticut has reached a $4.9 million civil False Claims Act settlement with Middletown couple Crispin and Antonieta Abarientos regarding a long-term fraudulent medical billing scheme involving costly infusions. This is the first False Claims settlement to date regarding the Connecticut State Health Plan.

• 10/27/2020 AG Tong Joins 15- State Coalition Defending North Carolina's Extended Ballot Deadline For Receiving Mail-In Ballots

  Attorneys General Argue in Supreme Court That Deadline Extension Protects Public Health and Vote-By-Mail Participation Amid Pandemic, USPS Delays

• 1/14/2020 Attorney General Tong, Commissioner Seagull Remind Consumers of January 22 Deadline to File Initial Claim in Equifax Data Breach Settlement

  Attorney General William Tong and Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Michelle H. Seagull are reminding the over 1.5 million Connecticut residents affected by the 2017 Equifax data breach that the deadline to file an initial claim is Wednesday, January 22, 2020.

• 3/31/2020 Attorney General Tong Joins Call for Federal Government to Prioritize COVID-Related Rulemaking and Freeze Non-Urgent Rules

  Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in calling on the Trump Administration to suspend non-COVID-19 related rulemaking to allow all parties to focus their full attention on the public health crisis.

• 6/30/2020 Attorney General Tong Joins Amicus Brief in Support of Equal Rights Amendment

  Today, Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 17 states and the District of Columbia in filing an amicus brief arguing that the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) must be accepted as the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution.

• 5/12/2020 Attorney General Tong Thanks Chinese Ambassador, Connecticut Chinese-Americans for Facilitating Largest Shipment Ever of Personal Protective Equipment to Connecticut

  Attorney General William Tong today thanked Chinese Ambassador Huang Ping, the Consul General in New York, and Fairfield County based Chinese-Americans who worked jointly with the Attorney General and the Governor’s office to help facilitate today’s shipment of personal protective equipment to combat COVID-19.