SOMERSET, KY – U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) applauds Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Martin O’Malley for providing additional relief to former clients and victims of attorney Eric C. Conn.
Commissioner O’Malley personally called Congressman Rogers to confirm Conn’s former clients will not be required to pay back the government for wrongfully assessed overpayments. Additionally, victims who have made payments will be refunded by the federal government.
“The federal government has ripped up an unfair social security bill for hundreds of eastern Kentuckians! This is long-overdue news for Conn’s victims who were awarded money, and then billed to pay it back with no due process. This is a good step towards justice for our people,” said Congressman Rogers, who serves all of Conn’s former clients in southern and eastern Kentucky. “I have been demanding justice and action from the Social Security Administration since this fiasco began more than seven years ago. While some legal relief has been provided over the years, this clear bill certainly brings a breath of relief for hundreds of families.”
Congressman Rogers has repeatedly contacted the SSA to push for better treatment of Conn’s former clients, most recently in a letter to Commissioner O’Malley earlier this year. During the call to Congressman Rogers, Commissioner O’Malley expressed his apologies for the delayed decision.
“I’m sorry it took us, as an agency, so long to catch up with the equities of this situation. The whole system was traumatized by the scale of this event. We will not be putting anybody in jeopardy of being assessed an overpayment, and those that were already assessed one, we’re going to waive those and refund those who might have paid a little bit on it,” said O’Malley.
O’Malley confirmed the ongoing disability cases will not require Conn’s victims to prove they were previously disabled, rather focusing on present medical status only.
Congressman Rogers successfully pushed SSA to restore all benefits for Conn’s victims during the lengthy redetermination process, ensuring paychecks were not unfairly stopped.
“I also want to applaud the pro bono attorneys in Eastern Kentucky who have donated countless hours and resources to provide legal representation for hundreds of victims in this case who otherwise could not afford to fight this battle on their own,” said Congressman Rogers.
For more information about Congressman Rogers’ work in Washington and at home in Kentucky, visit halrogers.house.gov and follow him on social media.
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Congressman Hal Rogers
2406 Rayburn House Office Building | Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4601
