But the agreement left unclear the sequence of events, and disputes arose immediately over whether disarmament or the award of benefits would come first.

Zarelli defended himself by arguing that the State Employment Security Department had found him to be eligible for benefits, and there were never any allegations of unsavory dealings behind the awarding of benefits.

The three wrongly terminated recipients of disability benefits had received retroactive awards of benefits, but the Congressional system of remedies did not provide any compensation for the hardships they endured in the periods when the benefits had been cut off, which ranged from 7 to 19 months.