Postmaster General Louis DeJoy On Hot Seat Over USPS Policies

Appointed by former President Donald Trump and controversial among Democrats, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy faces a tough grilling by House leadership over the finances and performance of the U.S. Postal Service.

Dozens of House Democrats sent a letter to President Joe Biden last week calling on the White House to fill vacancies at the post office’s Board of Governors, saying it would give the board the procedural ability to “seriously consider whether the current Postmaster General is suitable to continue in his role," reporting from The Hill finds.

A hearing set for Wednesday follows the release of a Republican memo by the group Citizens for Ethics that finds DeJoy ordered cuts to overtime pay last year in contrast to congressional testimony in August.

The memo references a plan “put forth by the Postmaster General to reduce overtime,” though Dejoy said during testimony before the House Oversight Committee that he “did not direct the elimination or any cutback in overtime.”

DeJoy’s tenure during the waning days of the 2020 presidential election campaign was marred by claims of widespread voter fraud, including the use of mail-in ballots during the coronavirus pandemic. He sparked widespread concern given his close relationship with Trump and lack of postal experience.

In September, the Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission against DeJoy for alleged campaign finance violations.

The complaint claims that DeJoy, the former owner of New Breed Logistics, allegedly persuaded employees to dish out donations and attend fundraisers for Republican candidates he favored, repaying any political contributions through employee bonuses.

But apart from the scandals, the USPS has faced struggles with delivery delays, prompting DeJoy to sketch out a 10-year overhaul during his testimony on Wednesday.

Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who serves on the Senate committee overseeing the USPS, said the delays are a point of frustration.

"The standard for the Postal Service has been the mail gets delivered on time 96% of the time," he told NPR. "But what we're seeing nationally is roughly 80%, and in some areas considerably less than that. In Detroit, for example, it's roughly 74%. So that's still an unacceptable standard."

Peters was among a handful of senators seeking an explanation about slow delivery rates. He is not, however, among the Democrats calling for DeJoy’s ouster, but said there were “concerns about his performance to date.”

Only the service’s Board of Governors can name a new postmaster general. Peters said there were “ongoing conversations” with the Biden administration about the options.