2020 Press Releases

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• 7/30/2020 Court Blocks Trump Public Charge Rule Following Motion by CT and Partner States

  Attorney General William Tong released a statement today after the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York blocked the Trump Administration’s Public Charge Rule following a motion by Connecticut and partner states.

• 7/29/2020 AG Tong and Secretary Merrill Urge Businesses to Use New State Portal to Help Prevent Government Imposter Scams

  In conjunction with the launch of business.ct.gov, Attorney General William Tong and Secretary of the State Denise Merrill are reminding businesses of the dangers posed by so-called “government imposter” scams, and the steps businesses can take to protect themselves.

• 7/29/2020 Attorney General Tong Announces Court Victory for Connecticut Air Quality

  Attorney General William Tong announced the U.S. District Court in New York has granted the request of Connecticut and other nearby states in ordering the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to hold upwind states accountable for cross-state air pollution in compliance with the Clean Air Act.

• 7/29/2020 AG Tong Secures Refunds and Assistance for Passion Play Tour

  Attorney General William Tong announced he has reached an agreement with NAWAS International Travel to provide refunds and rescheduled bookings for hundreds of consumers who had booked trips to view the 2020 Passion Play in Germany.

• 7/28/2020 AG Tong Calls For Immediate Withdrawal of Directive that Strips CDC Control Over Coronavirus Data

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a multistate effort urging the Trump Administration to immediately withdraw its new reporting structure that prohibits hospitals from reporting COVID-19 data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and instead creates a system controlled solely by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).

• 7/27/2020 Attorney General Tong Response to Legislator Request

  Attorney General William Tong released a response to Senator Leonard A. Fasano’s request dated July 24, 2020.

• 7/24/2020 AG Tong Sues to Protect Full and Fair Census Count

  Attorney General William Tong today sued President Donald Trump seeking to block his unconstitutional executive order excluding undocumented immigrants from the census. The order would illegally erase millions of people from the apportionment base used to determine the number of members each state receives in the U.S. House of Representatives.

• 7/23/2020 AG Tong Announces Settlement with Recovery Network of Programs Over Drug Testing Overbilling

  Attorney General William Tong, U.S. Attorney John H. Durham, and Department of Social Services Commissioner Deidre S. Gifford today announced a $354,368 joint federal/state settlement with the Recovery Network of Programs (RNP) resolving overbilling for drug testing.

• 7/22/2020 AG Tong Calls on Trump Administration to Abandon Rules Restricting Student Access to CARES Act Funds

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general from around the nation in urging the U.S Department of Education (DoE) to abandon a proposed rule that severely restricts the use of federal funds earmarked for students suffering from the devastating economic impact of COVID-19.

• 7/21/2020 AG Tong Joins Lawsuit Against Trump Administration for Allowing Health Care Discrimination

  Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to stop a new Trump Administration rule that makes it easier for health care providers and insurance companies to discriminate against certain vulnerable and protected classes of Americans.

• 7/21/2020 Attorney General Tong Sues EPA to Protect Clean Water Act Oversight

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule unlawfully curtailing state authority under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act.

• 7/21/2020 AG Tong Sues EPA Over New Rule Undermining Mercury and Air Toxics Standards

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 25 states, cities and counties in suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its rule reversing the agency’s determination — first made nearly 20 years ago — that it is “appropriate and necessary” under the Clean Air Act to regulate mercury and other toxic air pollution from coal- and oil-fired power plants.

• 7/20/2020 AG Tong and Congressman Courtney Applaud Decision in Dredging Case Vital to CT Maritime Economy

  Attorney General William Tong and Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-2) applauded a decision by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Rosado v. Pruitt upholding the lawful selection of the Eastern Long Island Sound Disposal Site for dredged materials.

• 7/20/2020 Attorney General William Tong Pushes For Graphic Image Warning Labels on Cigarette Packaging

  Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 25 attorneys general, led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, in filing an amicus brief supporting federal regulations requiring “graphic image” warning labels, which consist of color images that depict the dangers of smoking, on cigarette packages.

• 7/16/2020 AG Tong Joins Coalition Opposing Trump Administration Effort to Gut Asylum Protections

  Connecticut Attorney General William Tong today joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general, led by California, in filing a comment letter opposing the Trump Administration’s attempt to gut the nation’s asylum system.