On April 28, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong joined a bipartisan coalition of 24 other state attorneys general and New York City in sending letters to major credit card companies and payment processors urging them to block transactions facilitating illegal vaping product sales. The coalition highlighted that most vapor products lack required FDA authorization and many online sellers violate the federal Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT) Act, including failing to implement youth access safeguards. The coalition requested a meeting to discuss prohibiting noncompliant merchants from using payment networks, building on existing state enforcement actions against illegal vape sellers.
In-house legal teams at payment processors should review merchant agreements to include requirements for FDA authorization of e-cigarette products, compliance with PACT Act obligations including age verification and registration, and prohibitions on selling illegal vapes. Vape merchants should review payment processor agreements to ensure compliance with federal and state laws to avoid termination. All parties should verify that contracts include rights to audit merchant compliance and terminate for cause related to illegal sales, with specific clauses addressing youth access and prohibited product sales.
Entity
Bipartisan Coalition of 25 State Attorneys General and City of New York
Industry
OtherOfficial 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"
"Office of the Attorney General William Tong"
"joined a bipartisan coalition of 24 other attorneys general and the City of New York"
"bipartisan coalition of 24 other attorneys general and the City of New York"
"Federal law requires that all e-cigarette products receive authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they can be legally marketed or sold in the United States."
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.
$400.0M
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison joined a coalition of 43 states and territories in announcing a $400 million settlement in principle with Sandoz Inc. to resolve allegations that the generic drug manufacturer engaged in conspiracies to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition, and unreasonably restrain trade for numerous generic prescription drugs. Sandoz will pay approximately $469 million total including prior settlements, and has agreed to injunctive terms and internal reforms.
Attorney General William Tong joined a coalition of 23 states and the District of Columbia in suing the Trump administration over policy changes by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) that would allow broad sharing of TANF recipients' sensitive personal data across federal agencies and potentially private organizations. The lawsuit alleges violations of the Administrative Procedure Act and the Spending Clause, seeking to block the policy.
$400.0M
Attorney General Tong led a coalition of 43 states and territories in announcing a $400 million settlement in principle with Sandoz Inc. to resolve allegations that the generic drug manufacturer engaged in conspiracies to artificially inflate and manipulate prices, reduce competition, and unreasonably restrain trade. Sandoz will pay approximately $469 million total and implement internal reforms to ensure fair competition and compliance with antitrust laws.