Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced Tuesday that planned operational changes by the U.S. Postal Service, creating fears of delayed mail deliveries, will be postponed until after the election.
“To prevent even the appearance of any influence on election post, I suspend these initiatives until after the end of the election,” DeJoy said in a statement.
DEMOCRATS REQUEST POSTMASTER GENERAL, FIXED USPS TESTIFIED ON MAIL-IN BALLOTS
He continued: “Retail hours at post offices will not change. Email processing equipment and blue storage boxes will remain where they are. No mail processing facilities will be closed. And we confirm that overtime has and will continue, approved as necessary.”
Erica Koesler, left, and David Haerle, both from Los Angeles, demonstrate outside a USPS post office on Saturday, August 15, 2020, in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles. (AP Photo / Chris Pizzello)
DeJoy also said in the statement that USPS would expand its task force on election post working with state and local election officials.
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The postmaster general’s statement came shortly after 14 state attorney general announced a federal lawsuit challenging the changes at USPS, claiming that the changes could undermine the 2020 election.
A coalition of attorneys general from Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin said Tuesday that they will prosecute the Trump administration over what they do. described as “drastic” and “unlawful” service.
“Trump attacks on the postal service are designed to disrupt the election. They are at the core of our democracy,” Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh said in a statement. “That’s bad enough, but Trump and DeJoy are also hurting innocent bystanders: Americans who are waiting for their drugs as their controls for social security.”
Nearly 885,000 paper checks on social security – 1.2% of the total – are sent by mail each month, a Social Security Administration official told Fox News.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro also announced a similar multistate lawsuit.
DeJoy is expected to testify before the Homeland Security and Government Commission on Friday at the USPS amid the battle over post-in-ballots.
In fiscal year 2019, the USPS had a net loss of $ 8.8 billion and was $ 11 billion in debt. It relies on sales of goods and services and receives no taxpayer dollars.
Fox News’ Lillian LeCroy, Ronn Blitzer and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
