Miami ALJ Arrested

     Social Security Administrative Law Judge Timothy Maher of Miami has been arrested on the charge of threatening his ex-girlfriend with a gun.

Your Daily Conn Case News -- Squatters, File Access And Attorneys Appearing By Video

     The saga continues. From WYMT:

The saga of former disability attorney Eric C Conn continues as U.S. Marshalls began the process of seizing the property where his offices are located in Stanville.

Marshalls say they came to change the locks and to secure thousands of Conn clients medical files. Prestonsburg attorney Ned Pillersdorf who represents many of those clients says more than just files were found when U.S. Marshals went inside.

"He also advised me that once he got there he encountered some squatters who apparently were living in the office," said Pillersdorf. ...

"The Department of Justice has asked Janet [Stumbo, Pillersdorf's wife, a former Kentucky Court of Appeals Judge] to put in an application to be appointed the receiver," said Pillersdorf. "They gave her keys to the office so that she could see what was in there. So she could formulate her proposal." ...

     In other Conn case news, I haven't heard anything yet from Social Security about allowing me to participate in hearings by video but others are hearing that the agency is telling Administrative Law Judges to allow this.

A Sign Of The Times

     Here's a sign that was placed outside a Social Security office in Kentucky where almost 2,000 former Eric Conn clients face the loss of their Social Security disability benefits. Appalred is the local legal services unit trying valiantly to arrange representation for these claimants. They're running short of volunteers. You can help. E-mail maryg [@] ardfky.org or call them at the number you see on the sign. Social Security is trying to run roughshod over these innocent people. Don't let them.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Aretha Franklin 1942-2018

House Budget Chairman Wants To Raise Medicare Age And Make Social Security Change

     From the Times Record which may be in Fort Smith Arkansas, although that's hard to tell from the newspaper's website (emphasis added):

A new congressional budget proposal dubbed Brighter American Future would not privatize Social Security or Medicare, but it would raise the age of eligibility for Medicare up to two years and provide alternatives that could help drive Medicare costs down, U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, told a group of citizens Tuesday at a town hall meeting in Fort Smith.

Womack, the 3rd District congressman from Rogers and new chairman of the House Budget Committee, addressed the concerns over Social Security and Medicare presented by Mona Harper of Fort Smith and a group of five others at the University of Arkansas  ... 

The only recommended change to Social Security the budget proposal would make is “closing a loophole with disability insurance” that “allows someone to collect unemployment,” Claire Burghoff, communications director for the House Budget Committee, wrote in an email Wednesday. ...

Anybody Want A Big Abe Lincoln Statue?

     From WKYT:

They’ve become somewhat synonymous with Eric Conn. Some of the eye-catching billboards and large statues outside of the attorney’s former office are now looking for a new home.

Conn’s is a story that’s been ongoing for years , complete with some surprising twists and turns. Months ago, Conn admitted to defrauding the social security administration out of millions of dollars. ...

A new court order entered yesterday now allows for the sale of those assets, including the property where his once booming law compound sits. The property plays home to a giant Abraham Lincoln statue, a now toppled Statue of Liberty replica and a few Conn look-alike mannequins that once topped billboards. ...

Attorney Advisor Program Made Permanent

     The Social Security Administration published a notice in the Federal Register today that it is making the attorney advisor program permanent. As the notice says "The attorney advisor initiative permits some attorney advisors to develop claims, including holding prehearing conferences, and, in cases in which the documentary record clearly establishes that a fully favorable decision is warranted, issue fully favorable decisions before a hearing is conducted." 

     The problem with the attorney advisor program is that they are issuing few decisions. This is because the agency has imposed many limits and restrictions on what the attorney advisors can do. If Democrats win control of the House of Representatives in November I expect that Social Security will remove some of the limitations on attorney advisor productivity.

     By the way, if they're issuing decisions, shouldn't attorney advisors be appointed by the Commissioner?

Social Security Obstructing Legal Representation For Eric Conn's Former Clients

     Social Security has threatened or is threatening termination of disability benefits to thousands of Eric Conn's former clients. These cases have come in two waves. We're in the second wave now. 

     The need for pro bono legal representation in the Conn cases far exceeds what can be provided locally. Attorneys all over the country have stepped up to help these sick people who were unaware of Conn's illegal behavior. In the last wave of cases, attorneys from other parts of the country appeared by video. It wasn't perfect but it did provide legal representation which couldn't have been provided otherwise.

     Cases are now being scheduled for this second wave of Conn hearings. This time attorneys are receiving the letter shown below. We're being told that "Your office was made aware of the location of the hearing when it was scheduled and is in not in the best interest of the claimant for you to appear at another location ..." I was made aware of the location of the hearing when it was scheduled but I told the people scheduling the hearing that I would need to appear by video. I was told to send in my request so I did so, expecting to have my appearance by video. The idea that allowing me to appear by video would "not be in the best interest of the claimant" is almost Orwellian. There are already so many reasons why denials by Administrative Law Judges in the Conn cases may get remanded, it's hard for me to comprehend why anyone at Social Security would think this is a good idea.