Social Security News

Jan 8, 2021

More Eric Conn Litigation

A former client of disbarred attorney Eric C. Conn has sued to try to overturn hundreds of small-claims lawsuit judgments that Conn pursued against people he represented in Eastern Kentucky.

The judgments have likely caused problems for Conn’s former clients that include damage to their credit scores, losing out on loans and being passed over for jobs, the lawsuit claims. ...
The man who sued Conn, James K. Gillman, is serving a two-year jail sentence and fears the judgment Conn obtained against him will jeopardize his chance of being released on parole, said his attorney, Ned Pillersdorf. ...

I assume these judgments were for the costs that Conn incurred in representing his clients, both the costs of obtaining existing medical records and the costs of the medical exams done at Conn's office that became part of Conn's criminal problems. I'm surprised he sued over these costs. I doubt that it was cost effective but a lot of what Conn did made no sense. Some people would rather earn a dishonest nickel than an honest dollar.

Read more here: https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article248288575.html?utm_source=BenchmarkEmail&utm_campaign=Today%27s_Daily_Clips_%7c_January_6_2021&utm_medium=email#storylink=cpy

Jan 7, 2021

No SSI For Territories Because It Might Cause Inflation?

From Pacific Daily News:

Providing cash assistance to Guam’s elderly and people with disabilities could cause inflation here, according to the Justice Department, which argued it therefore is reasonable for Congress to deny Supplemental Security Income benefits to U.S. citizens living on Guam.
Denying local eligibility for SSI benefits also is reasonable because of the island’s unique tax relationship with the federal government, the Justice Department stated in a brief filed late last week with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
The Justice Department is challenging a June 2020 ruling by District Court of Guam Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood, who said denying SSI payments to Guam resident Katrina Schaller, a woman with a disability, is discriminatory and unconstitutional. The judge prohibited the federal government from continuing to enforce the discriminatory provisions against Schaller. ...

Jan 6, 2021

Unions Unanimous In Wanting Saul Gone

From a press release:

The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) joined together today calling for the ouster of Social Security Administration Commissioner Andrew Saul and Deputy Commissioner David Black. The joint effort comes on the heels of last month’s overwhelming votes of no confidence in the SSA leaders by the members of AFGE Council 220, National Council of SSA Field Operations Locals,and IFPTE Judicial Council 1, the Association of Administrative Law Judges (JC1/AALJ). ...

Jan 5, 2021

Strange Bedfellow

The Cato Institute, a right wing "think tank which has pushed a plan to privatize Social Security, has joined in an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in the case of Carr v. U.S. arguing that Social Security claimants should be able to raise the issue of the constitutionality of the appointments of ALJs even though they had not raised the issue before the agency.

Jan 4, 2021

As Expected

From CNN:

On Joe Biden's first day as President, his White House will issue a memo to halt or delay midnight regulations and actions taken by the Trump administration that will not have taken effect by Inauguration Day, Biden transition spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters on Wednesday. ...

This would include the new musculoskeletal listings at Social Security. However, if Andrew Saul tries to stay in office, it would be possible, in theory, for him to refuse to stay the regulation.

Jan 3, 2021

SCOTUS Schedules Oral Arguments In Appointments Clause Cases

The Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for Carr v. Saul and Davis v. Saul for March 3. The issue presented by these cases is "Whether a claimant seeking disability benefits under the Social Security Act forfeits an appointments-clause challenge to the appointment of an administrative law judge by failing to present that challenge during administrative proceedings."