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BATON ROUGE, LA – Attorney General Jeff Landry joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general in asking the United States Supreme Court to hear the case of decorated Army veteran James Rudisill and to protect veterans’ rights.

After his first tour, Mr. Rudisill used his Montgomery GI Bill benefits to further his education, successfully complete his undergraduate degree, and return to the U.S. Army as a commissioned officer. Mr. Rudisill served his country bravely and received one of the military’s highest accolades – the Bronze Star – for his service. Following his third tour, Mr. Rudisill was accepted into the Yale Divinity School – with a goal of returning to the armed forces yet again, this time as a chaplain.

The Department of Veterans Affairs denied Mr. Rudisill his Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, despite the fact that veterans with multiple requisite periods of service – like Mr. Rudisill – can earn up to 48 months of educational benefits. This unexplainable decision by the VA was overturned by multiple courts; but the en banc U.S. Court of Appeal for the Federal Circuit ultimately upheld the VA’s decision, robbing thousands of veterans of the GI benefits they earned while serving their country in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“James Rudisill honorably served our Nation in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he deserves all the benefits promised to him for his service,” said Attorney General Landry. “I hope the Supreme Court follows the rule of law and protects the rights of Mr. Rudisill and the thousands of his fellow post 9/11 veterans.”

Joining Attorney General Landry in this effort were the attorneys general of Virginia, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and the District of Columbia.

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A copy of the legal brief may be found at https://www.agjefflandry.com/Article/13133.