CONTACT: Jordan Libowitz
202-408-5565 | [email protected]

Washington – Postmaster General Louis DeJoy should be investigated for violating federal criminal laws by undermining voting by mail apparently for the political benefit of President Trump, according to a criminal complaint sent today by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) to the FBI.

Publicly-available information as well as statements from DeJoy raise questions about whether he and others unlawfully commanded the United States Postal Service to make policy changes at the agency that would depress or delay voting by mail, despite the increased demand due to the coronavirus pandemic. President Trump has been quoted repeatedly on his desire to block Americans’ ability to vote by mail, and his fear that voting by mail could cost him the election.

“Laws exist to ensure that the government pursues the national interest—not the personal political interests of the president,” CREW Executive Director Noah Bookbinder said. 

Criminal law (18 U.S.C. § 610) prohibits anyone from commanding any employee of the federal government to engage in political activity. Another provision (18 U.S.C § 595) bars anyone “employed in any administrative position by the United States” from using, in connection with any federally-funded activity, their “official authority for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate for the office of President.” 

“DeJoy’s attacks on the Postal Service’s ability to deliver the mail, apparently in order to help the president politically, should outrage all Americans,” Bookbinder said. “This behavior isn’t just wrong, it appears to be criminal. The FBI must investigate.”

Photo by Aranami.

Read the complaint here.