Attorneys general announce lawsuits over USPS cuts as Postmaster delays changes
The Washington state and Pennsylvania attorneys general said Tuesday that they will file lawsuits about U.S. Postal Service changes that affect vote-by-mail and other services.
Meanwhile Tuesday the Postmaster announced that USPS changes are being delayed until after the November election.
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson said he expects 13 states to sign onto the lawsuit that his office planned to file Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Eastern Washington. He said it names President Donald Trump, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, and the USPS as defendants.
Ferguson said on a press call that, among the allegations: “in particular of the five processing centers in Washington state, three of those are no longer processing outgoing mail, is our understanding.”
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro said his office also will file a lawsuit, joined by a coalition of states, in federal court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
“We’re taking the next step in our fight to protect the U.S. Postal Service and mail-in voting,” Shapiro said on the press call.
A press release from Ferguson’s office said their lawsuit challenges: “drastic operational changes at the U.S. Postal Service that threaten critical mail delivery and could undermine the national election in November. The Postal Service cuts, including eliminating staff overtime, halting outgoing mail processing at state distribution centers and removing critical mail sorting equipment, threaten the timely delivery of mail to millions of Americans who rely on the Postal Service for everything from medical prescriptions to ballots.”
The attorneys general allege the changes were made without following the process required by federal law.
Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin have joined the Washington lawsuit, Ferguson’s office said.
But Postmaster General DeJoy said in a statement Tuesday morning that he wouldn’t go forward with the changes until after the election in November “to avoid even the appearance of any impact on election mail.”
Asked about that by reporters, the attorneys general said they want something more binding than a statement, and that they plan to go forward with the lawsuits.
DeJoy’s statement said: “The Postal Service is ready today to handle whatever volume of election mail it receives this fall. Even with the challenges of keeping our employees and customers safe and healthy as they operate amid a pandemic, we will deliver the nation’s election mail on time and within our well-established service standards. The American public should know that this is our number one priority between now and election day.”
He went on to say postal union leaders and “management associations” are joining an election mail task force that “will help ensure that election officials and voters are well informed and fully supported by the Postal Service.”
Post Office retail hours won’t change, processing equipment and blue collection boxes “will remain where they are,” and overtime will keep being allowed “as needed,” the statement said. “In addition, effective Oct. 1, we will engage standby resources in all areas of our operations, including transportation, to satisfy any unforeseen demand.”
DeJoy reportedly had been putting severe restrictions on USPS employees working overtime, removing blue collection boxes and shutting down mail sorting machines. DeJoy has said changes he made were to try to preserve the long-term success of the Postal Service, which has lost $69 billion in about a decade, according to the Government Accountability Office.
He said Tuesday that the reforms he was pushing would “commence after the election.”
“Congress needs to act. It’s not only that DeJoy is undermining the service, it’s that he has a conflict of interest,” said Brian Voigt, the legislative liaison for the National Association of Letter Carriers and the California State Association of Letter Carriers. “He has thousands in stock in our competitors, and he’s in charge of the postal service?”
“I want him ousted,” he added. “I don’t trust him.”
Trump has made various claims about the Postal Service and mail-in voting.
Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday lauded Washington state’s mail-in ballot system, rebuking Trump’s claims and threats.
“Mail-in ballots are the easiest, safest, most reliable voting method there is and Washington’s vote-by-mail system is proof of that,” Inlsee said in a statement Monday.
Since 2005, the state of Washington has been one of just five states to conduct elections entirely by mail-in voting. During a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has required social distancing and put a hold on many public gathering norms, many other states have become interested mail-in balloting.
“Our system has worked well for years without incident, and I am confident it will continue to ensure strong and dependable access to democracy for the people of our state,” the governor said.
In recent days, images of mail boxes being removed have been seen all over the country, prompting Inslee to discuss the value that the U. S. Postal Service brings, especially during this time.
“There is no excuse for the Trump administration’s assault on democracy. The U.S. Postal Service is a vital and trusted part of all our communities,” he said. “The USPS does not just deliver ballots but also medication, paychecks, supplies and other crucial lifelines. To cut back and restrict this service at any time is inexcusable, but during a pandemic it is downright abhorrent.”
This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 10:15 AM.
