In May of 2020, Trump appointed longtime ally and support Louis DeJoy to Postmaster General of the United States Post Service. According to The Washington Post, DeJoy as of June, 2020, DeJoy and his wife had between $30 million and $75 million in assets of competitors to USPS, representing a clear conflict of interest. He has also donated $1.2 million to the Trump Victory Fund, and millions more to other Republican candidates and organizations.
In August of 2020, 23 senior officials were removed or re-assigned in what was called part of larger cost-cutting measures. Overtime pay for postal workers to ensure all mail is delivered on time was also removed, leading to backlogs across the country. Critics voiced concerns about delays in mail, especially ahead of the 2020 election. DeJoy’s USPS has also moved to nearly triple the cost of mail-in voting ballots, from 20 cents to 55 cents per ballot. The cost is paid for by the states, already experiencing severe budget issues amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The USPS has long been a target of those wishing to shift its responsibilities to private for-profit entities. In 2006, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act required that the USPS considers and provides funding for pension and healthcare benefits 75 years out, which no other government agency is required to do.
Reports surfaced of mail boxes and sorting machines being removed and destroyed in multiple states, slowing down mail delivery across the nation. Business deliveries, social security checks, and medicine were delayed.
DeJoy announced that he had no intentions of replacing the removed sorting machines, and the USPS prevented the release of data collected on mail delays.
Trump later admitted to actively undermining the USPS in order to restrict it’s ability to handle mail-in voting.
Trump has repeatedly attacked mail-in voting as being rife with fraud, saying that it would mean no Republican would again be elected, despite he and his family voting by mail. He also alleged widespread voter fraud in 2016, and created a commission to investigate, which found no evidence of fraud.
Federal Election Commission – Individual contributions
NPR – New Postmaster General Is Top GOP Fundraiser
The Washington Post – Trump ally takes over crisis-ridden Postal Service as top Senate Democrat demands inquiry on hiring
Associated Press – Mail delays likely as new postal boss pushes cost-cutting
Law and Crime – If Trump’s Postmaster General Raises Mail-in Ballot Stamp Price, That Could Be an Unconstitutional Poll Tax
Business Insider – USPS just made sweeping changes to its leadership as lawmakers call for an investigation into delayed mail ahead of the 2020 election
Market Watch – Critics of Trump White House decry latest ‘Friday night massacre’ as postmaster general sidelines two dozen USPS officials
CBS Austin – 82-year-old Houston-area man left without heart medicine for a week due to USPS delays
The Detroit News – Michigan union chiefs: USPS delaying mail by removing machines, shifting policies
WBGH – At Least A Dozen Mail Sorting Machines Have Already Been Removed In Massachusetts, Postal Union Officials Say
Cleveland.com – Dismantled equipment behind Cleveland Post Office raises delivery questions
Business Insider – Pelosi says USPS postmaster general told her he has ‘no intention’ of replacing the sorting machines and mailboxes that have been removed
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