On April 28, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a bipartisan coalition of 24 other attorneys general and New York City in sending letters to major credit card companies and payment processors urging them to block transactions facilitating sales of illegal vaping products. The coalition, led by New York, Pennsylvania, California, and NYC, called for collaboration to stop unlawful sales of unauthorized e-cigarettes that violate federal FDA premarket authorization requirements and the PACT Act. The letters request a meeting to discuss prohibiting noncompliant merchants from using the payment networks, citing past successful government-private sector collaboration in reducing illegal tobacco sales.
In-house legal teams at payment processors should review merchant services agreements to include explicit requirements for compliance with the federal PACT Act, FDA premarket authorization requirements for e-cigarette products, and state laws prohibiting sales of unauthorized vaping products to minors. These agreements should include representations and warranties from merchants confirming their products are FDA-authorized, termination clauses for noncompliance with applicable laws, and audit rights allowing the payment processor to verify adherence to age verification and registration requirements. For merchants selling vaping products, their vendor agreements with suppliers should include clauses requiring suppliers to provide proof of FDA authorization for all e-cigarette products, and indemnification for any losses resulting from sales of unauthorized products. All relevant agreements should also include breach notification clauses requiring merchants to promptly disclose any regulatory actions or investigations related to illegal vaping sales.
Entity
American Express, Capital One, Citi Group, Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, Stripe, Sezzle, Block (operator of Square, Cash App, and Afterpay)
Industry
Financial ServicesOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2026-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-joins-bipartisan-effort-to-curb-sales-of-illegal-vaping-products
vaping letters.pdf?rev=6f1af1595fd14ccb894e1c9ed4bf5991&hash
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2026/vaping-letters.pdf?rev=6f1af1595fd14ccb894e1c9ed4bf5991&hash=22468F22CABA98B48C3BE34C12783967
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
"Attorney General Tong Joins Bipartisan Effort to Curb Sales of Illegal Vaping Products"
"04/28/2026"
"Attorney General Tong today joined a bipartisan coalition"
"Office of the Attorney General William Tong"
"bipartisan coalition of 24 other attorneys general and the City of New York"
"major credit card companies and payment processors, including American Express, Capital One, Citi Group, Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, Stripe, Sezzle, and Block (operator of Square, Cash App, and Afterpay)"
New York Attorney General Letitia James led a bipartisan coalition of 24 state attorneys general, Puerto Rico, and New York City in sending letters to nine major credit card companies and payment processors urging them to block transactions facilitating illegal vaping product sales. The coalition cites federal and state laws prohibiting unauthorized e-cigarette sales, particularly to youth, and requests collaboration to prevent payment networks from processing such transactions. No enforcement penalties or actions were imposed as part of this initiative.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a multistate coalition suing the EPA over its repeal of greenhouse gas pollution limits for power plants and separately filed a notice of intent to sue over regulation of existing gas plants. The coalition asks the court to overturn the repeal and restore the protections; the release reports no monetary penalty or final order.
$400.0M
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $400 million settlement with Sandoz Inc. and Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc. resolving allegations that the generic drug manufacturers conspired to inflate prices, limit competition, and restrain trade. The settlement includes consumer restitution and injunctive reforms; court approval was being sought.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter opposing a DHS rule that allows certain affirmative asylum applications to be referred to removal proceedings without an asylum officer interview. The coalition argues the rule violates federal law and harms asylum seekers, including unaccompanied children; this was a policy opposition letter, not a privacy enforcement action.
Connecticut and Massachusetts co-led a coalition protest urging FERC to reject the proposed NextEra Energy-Dominion Energy merger. The coalition argued that the merger could increase market power and threaten energy affordability, reliability, and competition; the release does not report a final enforcement decision or penalty.
Connecticut officials warned residents about potential home improvement scams before an approaching nor’easter, including unlicensed contractors, high-pressure sales tactics, and demands for full payment upfront. The release provides consumer guidance on checking contractors and contract requirements; it does not announce an enforcement action or penalty against a named entity.