The U.S. Postal Service’s internal control body. He has launched an investigation into adjustments at the country’s post offices through the new postmaster, who is a Trump-appointed person, CBS News confirmed.
Senator Elizabeth Warren led a Democrat organization last week to ask the Postal Service inspector general to investigate staff and policy adjustments made under Louis DeJoy Post’s general manager, such as getting rid of the maximum overtime.
“Recent adjustments have slowed mail delivery, putting the well-being of millions of Americans who rely on the postal service for the delivery of Social Security checks, prescriptions, and daily mail of all kinds, and appear to pose a potential risk to mail. on the ballots and the 2020 general election,” Warren’s workplace said last week calling for the investigation.
On Friday, Warren spokesman Saloni Sharma said he had learned that the postal service inspector general was investigating “all aspects” of his application. In a separate statement, Inspector General Agapi Doulaveris’ spokesman said, “We are receiving the request from Congress and are running to address the considerations raised.”
Democrats also asked the inspector general to assess whether DeJoy and his wife, who “would have assets valued at tens of millions of dollars in competition and postal contractors,” according to Warren’s workplace, have fully met ethical requirements.
Democrats say mail adjustments are a component of a concerted effort to sabotage the 2020 election. “The removal of appliances from post offices and the rest is undermining the postal service at a time when postal service is more necessary than ever,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at MSNBC said Friday.
Earlier this month, DeJoy denied accusations that the postal service intentionally slowed election-related mail delivery after implementing new practices, such as eliminating the maximum overtime.
“Let me be transparent that, with respect to mail, the postal service and I are fully committed to fulfilling our role in the electoral process,” DeJoy said at a Board of Governors of the Postal Service meeting. “We will do our best to deliver the mail on time, in accordance with our operating standards and, despite all claims to the contrary, we do not slow down mail or any other mail.
DeJoy is an entrepreneur who contributed to President Trump and Republican reasons before he was appointed Post Minister in May.
Meanwhile, the Postal Service has sent letters to states warning them that their mail ballots may not be counted in time because their mail voting provisions are “inconsistent” with subsequent delivery standards. Letters were sent to 41 states raising considerations on the timeliness of ballots.
Congress and the White House are stuck in a dead end by a coronavirus relief bill, with the postal service at stake. A bipartisan organization of senators has proposed providing another $25 billion to the agency, which is facing a currency crisis aggravated by the pandemic.
While President Trump had indicated that he would not make a monetary bailout for the Postal Service, he said Friday that he would “if (Democrats) give us what we want,” that is, relief in payroll taxes and more small business loans.
Trump has repeated the false claim that mail voting leads to voter fraud, even though he has asked for a mail-in vote in Florida. The National Factor Association, which represents 300,000 retired and active postal workers, endorsed Joe Biden as president.
Weijia Jiang and Caroline Linton contributed to this report.