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.
Attorney General Tong and a coalition of 21 attorneys general and Pennsylvania filed lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Transportation, FMCSA, and DHS to block demands for the personal information of 17 million CDL drivers. The lawsuits allege violations of federal privacy laws and the Administrative Procedure Act, and seek an emergency order to prevent the data transfer.
Attorney General William Tong and a coalition of 10 attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging a new OCC rule that preempts state laws requiring national banks to pay interest on homeowners' mortgage escrow accounts. The lawsuit argues the OCC ignored federal court decisions and bypassed safeguards, and seeks to block the rule.
Attorney General Tong joined a coalition of 17 attorneys general in sending letters to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve Board, urging them to deny Opportunity Financial's application to acquire BNC National Bank. The merger would grant OppFi a national bank charter, allowing it to circumvent state lending laws and charge triple-digit interest rates, posing risks to consumers and the banking system.
The court granted the States' motion finding that Nexstar violated the preliminary injunction by placing current or former Nexstar executives on TEGNA's Board of Directors. The court ordered regular reporting to the States and appointed a special master to oversee compliance.
Attorney General William Tong co-led a coalition of 34 attorneys general in a letter to congressional leaders urging them to preserve the federal redefinition of hemp and reject efforts to weaken reforms addressing intoxicating hemp-derived products. The coalition warns that reopening the loophole would create regulatory uncertainty, compromise public safety, and allow unregulated intoxicating hemp products to return to the marketplace.