The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that the Veterans Court does not have to re-examine all evidence when reviewing disability benefits denials. It can only overturn a decision if there is a clear mistake.
This standard was questioned by two veterans, Norman Thornton and Joshua Bufkin. Thornton, who served in the Gulf War, said that his PTSD disability rating should be higher. Doctors couldn’t agree on whether Bufkin was eligible for PTSD benefits, so he wasn’t given them.
Their lawyers said the case could have an effect on a lot of veterans. Along with Neil Gorsuch, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the decision makes sure that the Veterans Court will keep giving in to the VA, even though Congress is trying to protect veterans.
Veterans’ groups supported the challenge, asserting that they have consistently received leniency when claiming disabilities. This was made clearer by Congress when it created the Veterans Court in 1988 and told it to follow this standard again in 2002.
Veterans, on the other hand, said the court was too kind to the VA. The federal government said that the Veterans Court’s job is to look over decisions for clear mistakes, not to look at the evidence again.
The court agreed with the VA that one doctor’s opinion was stronger in Bufkin’s case.
After his wife said she would kill herself if he didn’t leave the military, and the military allegedly told him to quit or get a divorce, Bufkin said he was traumatized.
The VA decided that Thornton did not deserve a higher disability rating in his case. The government said that his case wasn’t even close because there was enough evidence against him.
This is the second big ruling of the week for the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court blocked President Trump on Wednesday from firing Democratic Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.
The nation’s highest court will allow Cook to remain in her seat until oral arguments begin in January 2026.
In late August, Trump fired Cook after a member of his staff said she had committed mortgage fraud by claiming two different properties as her main residence, which can lead to better credit conditions.
Cook is facing mounting allegations of mortgage fraud after federal housing regulators issued criminal referrals over discrepancies in her property filings.
CNN acknowledged the seriousness of the case Friday, with legal analyst Elie Honig saying the suspicious activity was “really problematic” for Cook, the Daily Caller reported.
Bill Pulte, the head of the U.S. Federal Housing Agency, confirmed that a second criminal referral has now been filed.
He alleges Cook misrepresented a condominium in Cambridge, Massachusetts, when she claimed it was a “second home” on a 2021 mortgage application, then listed it as an “investment/rental property” on a government ethics form eight months later.
According to Pulte, Cook’s filings from 2022 through 2025 consistently described the Cambridge condo as an investment property, contradicting her original mortgage application.
He further alleged that Cook falsely claimed her Atlanta condo as her primary residence while simultaneously claiming the same status for her Michigan home, and later designated her Ann Arbor residence as her home address while renting it out.
Such discrepancies could have given Cook access to better loan terms. Lenders typically offer lower rates for second homes and primary residences than for investment properties, which carry higher down payments and interest rates because of higher perceived risk.
Cook acknowledged in court filings that documents were altered, but has suggested that clerical mistakes were to blame.
Pulte maintains that Cook’s conduct could amount to both mortgage fraud and occupancy fraud, with potential tax implications.
Cook has filed a lawsuit challenging her removal after President Joe Biden appointed her to the Fed’s Board of Governors.
“We have obtained a document Lisa Cook submitted to the U.S. Government while serving as Federal Reserve Governor. In it, on February 28, 2023, she represents to the U.S. Government that the Atlanta property is her personal residence,” Pulte stated.
“However, Lisa Cook, as a then-sitting Fed Governor and six months earlier, on September 1, 2022, appears to have listed that same property for rent.”
Pulte argued that the timing of the two loans indicated Cook’s lenders may not have been aware of each other’s underwriting processes, a situation he described as consistent with occupancy fraud.