NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after Judge Emmet G. Sullivan of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued a decision permanently stopping Postmaster General Louis DeJoy from taking certain measures that would degrade mail service and further undermine the United States Postal Service (USPS).
“After he assumed leadership in June 2020, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy pushed through drastic changes to the U.S. Postal Service’s operations that slowed mail operations nationwide, harmed everyday Americans, and made a mockery of the right to vote. No one can act with impunity, and today the rule of law prevailed. My office will continue to defend New Yorkers — and Americans — against actions that slow essential services and threaten the integrity of our democracy.”
In August 2020, Attorney General James led the attorneys general of Hawaii and New Jersey, as well as the city of New York and the city and county of San Francisco in filing a lawsuit to stop the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle USPS. The lawsuit argued that significant changes to USPS operations under DeJoy’s leadership substantially impacted USPS mail service in New York and nationwide and posed a threat to the integrity of the November 2020 presidential election. Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, the court granted a preliminary injunction which immediately halted the Trump Administration’s attempts to disrupt USPS operations.
This matter was handled by former Assistant Attorney General Daniela Nogueira, former Special Counsel Morenike Fajana, former Senior Counsel Joseph Wardenski, and former Chief Counsel for Federal Initiatives Matthew Colangelo — all of the Executive Division; Assistant Attorney General Lindsay McKenzie and former Deputy Bureau Chief Elena Goldstein — both of the Civil Rights Bureau; Senior Counsel Michael Myers and Assistant Attorneys General Joshua Tallent and Laura Mirman-Heslin — all of the Environmental Protection Bureau; and Special Counsel Eric Haren of the Division for Appeals and Opinions. The Civil Rights Bureau and the Environmental Protection Bureau are part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux. Both the Executive Division and the Division for Social Justice are overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.