CREW requests USPS records on mail-in-voting plans
CREW received records back from the US Postal Service (USPS) indicating that before Louis DeJoy became Postmaster General and made changes that appear to put the guarantee of voting by mail in jeopardy, the USPS told Congress it had plans in place to ensure proper staffing so that voting by mail would not be threatened during the pandemic.
Read our full analysis hereLast month, the United States Postal Service announced that Louis DeJoy would be serving as the next Postmaster General. DeJoy, a Republican fundraiser and top donor to the Trump campaign, has questionable experience which has raised concerns, especially with the growing importance of mail-in voting. President Trump has repeatedly attacked voting by mail with very little evidence, despite USPS OIG indicating that expanding voting by mail could boost the agency’s revenue by $2 million annually. With the members of the Trump administration demonstrating little concern for accountability and routinely misusing government resources for partisan ends, placing a partisan Trump donor in this position could potentially undermine the essential role that USPS plays in ensuring Americans are able to vote by mail, especially amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
CREW has requested documents regarding voting by mail between USPS employees and DeJoy, the USPS Board of Governors, the previous Postmaster General Megan Brennan, along with other various entities. The requested documents also include any communications between USPS employees and members of Congress regarding DeJoy’s qualifications for his new appointment.
These documents could help provide insight into USPS’s capacity to support voting by mail in advance of DeJoy’s arrival. The public deserves to know and understand why DeJoy was hired and if this appointment will interfere with their right to vote and have their vote counted. As Election Day quickly approaches, this matter is more pressing than ever and the American people should know if, once again, Trump is using political pawns to undermine our democratic rights.
On July 31, 2020, CREW appealed the initial determination by the USPS on a portion of CREW’s request. Read the appeal here and read the exhibits here.
On August 17, 2020, CREW sued the USPS and Treasury Department for failing to turn over comprehensive records on communications around Trump donor Louis DeJoy’s qualifications to lead the USPS and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and his department’s involvement in DeJoy’s appointment.