A group of 90 House Democrats on Wednesday demanded that the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors immediately remove Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, arguing that his vow to suspend recently imposed mail service changes does nothing to undo his conflicts of interest or the damage he's already done to the nation's most popular government institution.
"Mr. DeJoy has used his time as Postmaster General to sabotage the United States Postal Service (USPS) and he must be removed immediately to protect this critical institution," the Democratic lawmakers wrote in a letter to the board.
"Despite recent claims by Mr. DeJoy that implementation of certain changes may be delayed, he has already done considerable damage to the institution and we believe his conflicts of interest are insurmountable," reads the letter, which was led by Reps. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Katherine Clark (D-Mass.).
As Common Dreams previously reported, the Board of Governors unanimously appointed DeJoy--a major Republican donor to President Donald Trump--in May despite his potential conflicts of interest and complete lack of experience working for the Postal Service.
"Mr. DeJoy holds a significant investment in his former company, XPO Logistics, a USPS contractor," the lawmakers wrote. "Since becoming Postmaster General, he has also invested tens of thousands of dollars in stock options in another USPS contractor and competitor. Both investments represent tremendous conflict of interest. We cannot trust that Mr. DeJoy will act in the best interest of the USPS or the people who rely on it."
Read the full letter:
Dear Chairman Duncan and Members of the Board:
We write to urge you to immediately remove Postmaster General Louis DeJoy using your powers under 39 U.S. Code SS 202. Mr. DeJoy has used his time as Postmaster General to sabotage the United States Postal Service (USPS) and he must be removed immediately to protect this critical institution. Despite recent claims by Mr. DeJoy that implementation of certain changes may be delayed, he has already done considerable damage to the institution and we believe his conflicts of interest are insurmountable.
Mail is an essential government service and a critical lifeline for many during the Covid-19 pandemic. Americans rely on the USPS to deliver their medications, paychecks, ballots, and other essential goods. In his brief time as Postmaster General, Mr. DeJoy has implemented policies that have slowed mail delivery times to unacceptable levels and resulted in undelivered mail. Americans must be able to rely on USPS to deliver essential goods like medicine, and Mr. DeJoy's actions have consistently undermined the Postal Service's ability to deliver such items on time.
Furthermore, Mr. DeJoy holds a significant investment in his former company, XPO Logistics, a USPS contractor. Since becoming Postmaster General, he has also invested tens of thousands of dollars in stock options in another USPS contractor and competitor. Both investments represent tremendous conflict of interest. We cannot trust that Mr. DeJoy will act in the best interest of the USPS or the people who rely on it.
It is your responsibility as the Board of Governors to ensure that the USPS is able to discharge its critically important duties and to ensure the institution's long-term wellbeing. You must not allow it to be used as a political tool. We urge you to remove Mr. DeJoy immediately.
