Tong: Don’t ​“Move On” Yet From Mueller

The attorney general says Donald Trump is trampling on the constitution. The attorney general is looking to stop predatory payday lenders. The attorney general is pushing for a quick release of the full Mueller report — and argues that the Russian collusion matter is hardly over.

Surprised?

The attorney general in question is not William Barr, the U.S. attorney general. In fact, Barr has supported the president’s policies and ​“exonerated” him for any putative offenses covered by the investigatory report just completed by Robert Mueller.

The attorney general in question is Connecticut’s newly elected William Tong. Since taking office two months ago, Tong has been joining colleagues nationwide to take President Trump to court on behalf of immigrant rights, victims of predatory lending, and the Obamacare (aka the Affordable Care Act).

And Tong Thursday blasted Barr for so far released only a four-page summary of the Mueller report. Tong also broke with people who argue that it’s time to move on to other issues.

Barr’s four-page summary ​“seems like a bit of a spin job. I hope it’s not a snow job,” Tong said during an appearance on WNHH FM’s ​“Dateline New Haven” program.

“If there’s nothing to hide, if there’s no collusion as they frame it, then let us see it.”

Tong responded to the call to ​“move on” from the Russia probe.

“You can’t move on, because it’s happening. This isn’t about politics. It’s not about P.R. It’s about holding people accountable. It’s about the rule of law. It’s about trying to avoid further constitutional crisis and strain. It’s critically important to know if the president has been engaged with in an inappropriate way and has colluded with a foreign power hostile to the United States.

“This is not like Sunday night dinner. This is serious, serious foundational business that puts our republic at risk. I think we’re almost becoming numb to it. We talk about it like it is a commonplace occurrence. We’re talking about conduct that might be treasonous.”

Suing The Trump Administration

Meanwhile, Tong has joined fellow Democratic attorneys generals from other states in suing Trump in federal court to stop several of his administration’s moves, including:

• On health care. Tong and fellow Democratic AGs are in court opposing the Trump administration’s quest to have the ACA declared unconstitutional. Tong said he disagrees with the Trump legal argument that the individual mandate is unconstitutional, and therefore the whole law is rendered unconstitutional. And he fears the potential impact on Connecticut if Trump prevails: loss of insurance for over 500,000 people with preexisting coverage, for people under 26, and for 250,000 people who have benefited from Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion and prescription drug coverage, ​“including my 94-year-old grandmother and my parents.”

• On immigration. One multi-state suit targets Trump’s adoption of new policy instructing consular officials to take into account whether family members have used ​“noncash public assistance” —- including, saying, government job-training programs — in denying visas. Tong called the policy an ​“unprecedented and hate-filled attack” that unconstitutionally discriminates. A second suit targets Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to transfer military funds to build a southern border wall. He argued that the move violates Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which relegates spending power to Congress; and will cost Connecticut needed asset forfeiture dollars as well as military construction projects.

• On payday lending. Tong’s office has joined other AGs to oppose Trump’s proposed rollback of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau regulations aimed at protecting consumers from abuses by ​“payday” and other consumer lenders.

OK With Predecessor’s Move

In the radio interview, Tong was also asked about the new job taken by his attorney general predecessor, George Jepsen.

Jepsen and his former deputy, Perry Zinn Rowthorn, are new partners at the Hartford-based law firm Shipman & Goodwin. Their mission: creating a new national practice representing corporations targeted by state attorneys general.

Tong noted that Jepsen may not handle cases involving his former state office during his first year in the private sector.

After that, Jepsen may — and Tong said he’s unconcerned.

“I think they’re looking to be a resource. There’s a large community of attorneys general now on both sides of the aisle,” Tong said. ​“George and Perry are eminently honorable men. I’m sure we will be working on the other side of them and I’m sure we will be working with them.”

For example, the Connecticut attorney general’s office is leading a 49-state bipartisan coalition taking on the generic drug industry, he said. ​“George and Perry started that. I will look to them for support and guidance” and may decide to ​“partner” with them.

Click on the video below to watch the full appearance by William Tong on WNHH FM’s ​“Dateline New Haven.”