In May 2020, the USPS Board of Governors appointed Louis DeJoy as postmaster general. DeJoy was the founder and CEO of logistics and freight company New Breed Logistics before becoming the first postmaster general since 1992 with no prior USPS experience.
New Breed was bought by XPO Logistics for $615 million and DeJoy continued to serve on the board of directors until 2018. He still owns around $30 million in stock with the company.
DeJoy’s companies still hold active contracts with the USPS, a clear conflict of interest. He is also a major Republican Party donor and supporter of Donald Trump.
DeJoy was criticized for the extreme cost-reduction policies he implemented through his infamous 10-year plan in March 2021, including eliminating overtime and banning late or additional trips to deliver mail.
Adam Clark Estes of Vox reported in 2020 that USPS had sent a letter to 46 states and Washington, DC, in late July of that year warning that it could not guarantee their mail-in ballots would be delivered in time to be counted. In August 2020, due to public pressure, DeJoy said his cutbacks would be suspended until after the election.
