Started by a public relations firm, DeJoy and the U.S. Postal Service are now shrugging off after weeks of criticism and accusations that the Trump administration used the agency to mediate in the November election. DeJoy’s efforts at two congressional hearings and other public appearances will be critical.
Following a closed-door emergency meeting Saturday between DeJoy and the Postal Service Board of Governors, a source trusted by CNN reports that the agency has hired PR company Weber Shandwick to help handle crisis messages and combat some of the anti-Postal Service and mail-in mood rhetoric from the White House.
Shortly thereafter, the Postal Service issued a statement from DeJoy stating any changes until after the election, but did not say whether the changes already made, such as the removal of large-volume letters, would be reversed.
DeJoy has begun preparing for his congressional hearings this Friday and Monday, two sources close to the postmaster general told CNN. The new job has thrown DeJoy out of obscurity into the spotlight, a position close to him says he is not very comfortable with. He is also holding a personal outreach with Congress this week, calling on Second Chamber member Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
Perhaps the most publicly-minded postmaster general since Benjamin Franklin, DeJoy is also considering capitalizing on his newfound footfall by doing local television interviews to assassinate voters over fears that their post-in votes will not be safe with the U.S. Postal Service Service, a source told CNN.
While many near DeJoy accuse postal unions of the leaks and negative press, he is also preparing a note from public services alongside union leaders of the National Association of Letter Carriers and the National Post Mail Handlers Union that will broadcast on television stations around the land early September. Ronnie Stutts, president of the National Rural Mail Carrier Association, confirmed that he would be part of this effort with other union leaders.
But a PSA and local interviews to reassure Americans that voting by mail is safe and efficient work completely against the story set by Trump, who has continued to attack the process with unproven accusations that it is rude to fraud .
The party division is strong. Among supporters of the president, 66% say they would rather vote in person on election day. Those voters who supported former Vice President Joe Biden most preferred to vote by post (53%).
Sources close to DeJoy describe him as something Trumpian himself. A New York landowner, DeJoy is a businessman known for speaking his mind. And as Trump describes sources close to DeJoy and others who have met with him sitting him as an outsider in Washington, unaware of the level of politics that this job would hold.
“He did not seem to understand that he would have to deal with Congress on everything,” one source familiar with DeJoy’s attitude told CNN.
“He was introduced because of his experience to help run a business, to help fix a broken business,” said a friend of DeJoy’s. “This has all become too political.”
But unlike Trump, DeJoy seems to be learning fast on how to best navigate Washington. With a swift willingness to testify and personal appeal to top Democrats, DeJoy actively draws a defining line between himself and the White House, one Trump is likely to notice.
The suspension of the changes and implementation of additional resources make e-mail voting seem legitimate when Trump has actively worked to discredit it.
Alarming changes at the Postal Service
Post Office workers began sounding the alarm earlier this month after changes introduced by DeJoy, an ally and a donor of Trump, caused delays in delivery services. With millions of Americans expected to vote by mail amid a pandemic, the massive delays lead to rumors from Democratic and Republican lawmakers about access to the ballot and voting for the November election.
Last week, the Inspector General of the Postal Service began a review of these changes and how they could affect the election, after senators demanded an investigation. State officials are concerned about the integrity of the election after more than 40 states received letters from the Postal Service warning them that ballots could not be delivered on time.
While USPS last week issued warnings of possible delays in elections, CNN documents showed plans to remove nearly 700 high-volume letter sorts by November. And images of blue mailboxes being truncated on trucks began to circulate on social media. While some Republicans claimed that the removal plan was an attempt to save the Postal Service from the difficult financial situation, the timing, along with Trump’s attack on postal voting, led to allegations that the Trump administration used the Postal Service to influencing elections, a charge that DeJoy denied.
“To prevent even the appearance of influence on election post, I suspend these initiatives until after the election is over,” DeJoy said.
According to the statement, USPS is also running for office: expanding leadership task force over election postings and providing “standby resources in all areas of our operations, including transportation, to address any unforeseen demand.”
But questions remain as to whether the damage has already been done. USPS did not respond to multiple requests for comment on what this would mean would happen to machines and boxes that had already been removed.
In a statement, USPS said it has been working with Weber Shandwick for more than a decade.
“Weber Shandwick has been the record-breaking communications agency for the U.S. Postal Service since 2009, including strategy, marketing, crisis, internal and external communications services,” the USPS statement said.
CN Ms Phil Mattingly contributed to this report.
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