Illinois Democrat asks for details on new chairman’s vision for Postal Service

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) is requesting more information from the newly-minted chairman of the United States Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors regarding his vision for the agency and how he plans to handle Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who has come under scrutiny by some for ties to former President Trump and initiatives that allegedly slowed mail processing.

In a letter to USPS Board of Governors chairman Roman Martinez IV on Wednesday, Krishnamoorthi congratulated the chief on his election — which occurred in a unanimous vote last month — before laying out three areas he is interested in learning more about.

“I write to inquire as to your vision for the USPS and plans for addressing the implementation of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s ‘Delivering for America’ 10-year plan, the USPS’s role in the upcoming election cycle, and Postmaster General DeJoy’s future with the USPS,” Krishnamoorthi wrote in a letter first reported by Politico.

Specifically, Krishnamoorthi is asking that Martinez “commit to reviewing the implementation” of DeJoy’s 10-year plan, which would cause longer delivery times, increase postage prices and reduce post office hours.

He also requested information on procedures the USPS is implementing ahead of the 2022 midterm elections to safeguard mail-in voting, and asked if he “would support Mr. DeJoy’s removal,” pointing to an FBI investigation, conflicts of interest and “substandard job performance.”

Krishnamoorthi is asking that Martinez answer his stated questions by Feb. 28.

DeJoy has been under fire during his time as postmaster general. He imposed a number of cost-cutting measures during his tenure which in turn led to declines in mail processing and reduced the speed of deliveries.

He has also been accused of purposely slowing the mail in the lead up to the 2020 presidential election to give Trump an advantage in the race.

DeJoy reportedly contributed more than $1.1 million to the joint fundraising fund supporting Trump’s reelection campaign and the Republican Party.

The postmaster general, however, has denied any such accusations. At a congressional hearing in 2020 he said he was “not engaged in sabotaging the election.”

Krishnamoorthi, in Wednesday’s letter, said he hopes Martinez “will consider the serious ethical questions surrounding Mr. DeJoy.” He said the postmaster general did not initially divest from more than a dozen companies that do business with the USPS, and noted that he is under investigation by the FBI for alleged campaign finance violations.

The Hill reached out to the USPS for comment.