Connecticut Attorney General William Tong is expanding an inquiry into high grocery prices by sending letters to major food distributors and retailers. The inquiry found no evidence of price gouging at the retail level but will now investigate the supply chain for potential unfair profiteering. The AG also cited factors like tariffs and SNAP cuts that contribute to high prices.
In-house legal teams should review vendor and supply chain agreements for clauses related to price adjustments, cost pass-through mechanisms, shrinkflation practices, and transparency requirements. Ensure contracts include audit rights to verify cost justifications and address how external factors like tariffs, labor shortages, or regulatory changes impact pricing.
Entity
Food Distributors and Grocery Retailers
Also known as: Food Distributors and Retailers
Industry
RetailOfficial Press Release
https://portal.ct.gov/ag/press-releases/2025-press-releases/attorney-general-tong-announces-next-steps-in-grocery-pricing-inquiry
supplier grocery letter 103025.pdf?rev=19be351d33834679af15c
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2025/supplier-grocery-letter-103025.pdf?rev=19be351d33834679af15c0a996f52e49&hash=C10657DC6AFBC4F9DBDCD4B6DB24D9FF
groceries and price gouging letter to legis dated 10 30 25.p
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/ag/press_releases/2025/groceries-and-price-gouging-letter-to-legis-dated-10-30-25.pdf?rev=3218324061fe43eb8bacde646ea0707f&hash=5EF41B9E3A5158D2704B94B405D21D4C
Connecticut Attorney General Enforcement Page
https://portal.ct.gov/AG/Privacy/Privacy-Resources
"five of the top food distributors"
"inquiry"
"price gouging"
On May 11, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong led a bipartisan coalition of 21 attorneys general in submitting a comment letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging the agency to abandon draft guidance that would ease approvals for flavored e-cigarette products. The coalition argues the guidance ignores evidence that flavored e-cigarettes disproportionately drive youth addiction and that FDA has failed to enforce existing authorization requirements for e-cigarette products. The letter references past tobacco and e-cigarette enforcement actions, including the 1998 tobacco master settlement agreement and the 2022 $438.5 million settlement with JUUL Labs.
Connecticut’s legislature passed House Bill 5312, creating new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault, including unauthorized dissemination of synthetically created intimate images and AI-generated child pornography. The bill establishes a private right of action for victims and empowers the Connecticut Attorney General to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against abusers and platforms hosting illegal content. This builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized intimate image dissemination.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong praised final passage of House Bill 5312, which creates new civil enforcement mechanisms for deepfake digital sexual assault. The legislation allows the AG to pursue civil injunctions and penalties against platforms that disseminate illegal synthetic intimate images, including AI-generated child pornography, and establishes a private right of action for victims. The bill builds on prior Connecticut laws criminalizing unauthorized dissemination of intimate images.
$300K
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a settlement with international trade platform Made-in-China to cease all U.S. sales of unlawful 'research grade' GLP-1 weight loss drugs following an investigation into direct sales to consumers without prescriptions or medical oversight. The settlement prohibits the platform from hosting GLP-1 sales to U.S. customers, requires a monitoring system to remove non-compliant listings, and imposes a $300,000 penalty suspended after an initial $30,000 payment. Additional settlements were announced with Radiance Medspa and Advanced Medical Weight Loss over compounded non-FDA approved GLP-1 drugs.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, announcing the final passage of bipartisan legislation targeting youth social media addiction and artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new obligations on social media companies regarding minor account settings, parental consent, and reporting, as well as requirements for AI chatbot operators and employers using automated decision tools. The statement also references ongoing enforcement actions against Meta and TikTok for allegedly designing addictive platform features for youth.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong issued a statement on May 1, 2026, following final passage of bipartisan legislation to combat youth social media addiction and regulate artificial intelligence harms. The legislation imposes new requirements on social media companies regarding minor users, including parental consent for addictive algorithms, default privacy settings, and annual reporting obligations. It also establishes rules for AI chat bots and automated employment decision tools, including disclosure requirements and self-harm detection protocols.