2020 Press Releases

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• 6/29/2020 Attorney General Tong Statement on Supreme Court Decision Protecting Abortion Rights

  Attorney General William Tong issued the following statement on the 5-4 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the pivotal abortion rights case June Medical Services v. Gee

• 6/26/2020 Attorney General Tong Statement on Appeals Court Decision Blocking Unlawful Trump Border Wall

  Attorney General William Tong issued the following statement regarding the 2-1 decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals finding that the Trump Administration unlawfully diverted $2.5 billion in military funding for construction of the border wall.

• 6/24/2020 Attorney General Tong Sues to Stop Trump Administration’s Illegal Elimination of Critical Regulatory Safeguards for Students

  Attorney General William Tong joined 19 attorneys general filing suit today against U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to stop the elimination of critical protections for students considering enrolling in for-profit colleges and vocational schools.

• 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.

• 6/18/2020 Attorney General Tong Statement on SCOTUS DACA Decision

  Attorney General William Tong issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Supreme Court decision today blocking the Trump Administration’s effort to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

• 6/16/2020 Attorney General Tong Urges EPA to Protect Drinking Water from Toxic Forever Chemicals

  Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, as part of a 22-state coalition filed comments with the U.S. Environmental Protect Agency (EPA) supporting the agency’s plan to regulate perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), two types of PFAS “forever” chemicals, under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. While supportive of regulating PFOS and PFOA, the states also asked EPA to propose drinking water standards for other PFAS chemicals as well. The standards should reflect current science and protect human health, and EPA should act as quickly as possible.

• 6/16/2020 Attorney General Tong Asks Apple and Google to Ensure All Contact Tracing Apps Serve a Public Health Purpose

  Attorney General William Tong and a bipartisan coalition of 39 attorneys general today asked Google and Apple to ensure all contact tracing and exposure notification apps related to COVID-19 adequately protect consumers’ personal information. Specifically, the coalition asked Google and Apple to guarantee that such apps, when available to consumers, are affiliated with a public health authority and removed from Google Play and the App Store once no longer needed by public health authorities.

• 6/16/2020 Attorney General Tong Urges Public to Report COVID19 Stimulus Payments Seized by Nursing Homes

  Attorney General William Tong today urged residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities and residential care homes and their families to report any instances of improperly seized COVID-19 stimulus payments.

• 6/15/2020 AG Tong Issues Statement Regarding U.S. Supreme Court Decision Affirming Civil Rights Protections for LGBTQ Workers

  Attorney General William Tong issued the following statement today regarding the U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which affirmed civil rights protections for LGBTQ workers.

• 6/10/2020 Attorney General Tong Leads Coalition Filing 3rd Complaint in Ongoing Antitrust Price-Fixing Investigation Into Generic Drug Industry

  Attorney General William Tong led a coalition of 51 states and territories today in filing the third lawsuit stemming from the ongoing antitrust investigation into a widespread conspiracy by generic drug manufacturers to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition, and unreasonably restrain trade for generic drugs sold across the United States.

• 6/1/2020 AG Tong and State Police Release PSA Encouraging Residents to Fact Check COVID19 Information

  Attorney General William Tong and the Connecticut State Police today released a Public Service Announcement encouraging residents to fact check the information they receive about the COVID-19 pandemic.

• 6/1/2020 AG Tong Joins Coalition Protecting SNAP Food Assistance During Pandemic

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general and the City of New York urging Congress to block Trump Administration attempts to cut vital food assistance for millions of Americans in the midst of a pandemic.

• 5/27/2020 Richard Thompson Released From Federal Custody Following Appeals Court Ruling

  Attorney General William Tong issued the following statement today regarding news that Richard Marvin Thompson has been released from federal custody in Alabama and is returning home to Connecticut. His release follows the decision last Thursday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit that reversed a prior immigration court decision denying Thompson the full benefit of his Connecticut pardon.

• 5/27/2020 Attorney General Tong Files Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration’s Reckless Rollback of National Clean Car Standards

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a multistate coalition filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s disastrous final rule rolling back the national Clean Car Standards. The previous standards required appropriate and feasible improvements in fuel economy and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from passenger cars and light trucks. Since their introduction in 2010, these standards have saved consumers money, reduced harmful emissions, and helped protect the health of our communities. The Trump Administration’s misguided Safer Affordable Fuel-Efficient Vehicles (SAFE) rule stops this progress in its tracks, hurting the economy and public health at a time when the country can least afford it. In the lawsuit, the coalition will argue that the final rule unlawfully violates the Clean Air Act, the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act.

• 5/27/2020 Attorney General Tong Announces $82,500 False Claims Settlement With Brookfield Dentist

  Attorney General William Tong today announced an $82,500 civil False Claims Act settlement with Brookfield dentist Rawa Hassan regarding overcharges for dental restoration fillings the state alleges she did not provide.