Washington D.C. (Sept. 11, 2020)—On Monday, September 14, 2020, at 12:00 p.m. E.T, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, held a hearing to examine Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s potential conflicts of interest and evaluate how his continued leadership could jeopardize the Postal Service and the mail-in voting process for the 2020 election.
DeJoy’s short tenure has been marked by controversy and poor service, with actions that appear in line with his financial interests and contrary to the interests of the Postal Service, mailers, recipients, and voters. Notably, DeJoy still holds tens of millions of dollars in stocks in companies that would benefit from the privatization of the Postal Service.
On the precipice of a national election that will require unprecedented reliance on mail to deliver ballots because of the coronavirus pandemic, the public deserves a non-partisan Postal Service that it can trust. Instead, internal documents released by the Committee and a Senate Staff Report show dramatic mail delays since the start of DeJoy’s tenure—including delays in prescription drugs—raising serious concerns about the prioritization of mail-in ballots.
When DeJoy testified at a Committee hearing in August, he reversed his testimony and admitted to communicating with Trump campaign affiliates.
DeJoy also denied under oath using bonuses to reimburse employees at his former company, New Breed Logistics, for donating to Republicans. Less than two weeks later, the Washington Post published reports from five former employees that they were encouraged to donate or attend GOP fundraisers and would be reimbursed for their contributions.
Chairman Connolly’s Opening Statement [PDF]
Chairwoman Maloney’s Opening Statement [PDF]
Rep. Brenda L. Lawrence’s Opening Statement [PDF]
WITNESSES
| S. David Fineman Former Chairman United States Postal Service Board of Governors
Richard W. Painter
Lisa Graves
Ann M. Ravel
Michael Plunkett (minority witness) |
