POGO: USPS under the microscope

 

August 22, 2020

Last week, we warned you that the Postal Service’s ability to manage mail-in ballots this fall is under threat, and that comments from President Donald Trump suggested changes in mail service might be politically motivated. Outcry over these changes prompted Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to announce that the Postal Service would roll back some changes that could impact mail delivery ahead of the election.   Yet several reports indicate that the Postal Service will not reverse all policies contributing to mail delays. USPS confirmed it will not reverse a new policy that resulted in mail carriers leaving mail behind for the next day and told maintenance managers not to reinstall mail sorting machines that had already been removed. On top of that, USPS recently barred clerks from serving as mail-in ballot witnesses.   Given all this, we’re still deeply concerned about the management of the Postal Service in the lead-up to the election and politicization of the post office. On Thursday, we filed a complaint with the Office of Special Counsel, requesting an investigation into whether DeJoy and other officials violated the Hatch Act by attempting to interfere in or sway the election. We also spoke to a former member of the Postal Regulatory Commission about the latest controversy surrounding USPS.   DeJoy appeared in a Senate hearing yesterday, where he committed to expediting election mail and continuing overtime for postal workers, and will testify in the House on Monday. We’ll continue to monitor the situation.   We’re following another executive branch move, though this one has flown a bit under the radar. The Office of Management and Budget has put in place a new policy requiring political appointees to sign off on decisions about the disbursement of funds appropriated by Congress. Through the Power of the Purse Coalition, of which we are co-founders, we condemned the move, which, paired with the administration’s increased secrecy about these decisions, further erodes Congress’ power over the federal budget. LETTER Hatch Act Complaint Against Postmaster General Louis DeJoy POGO asked the Office of Special Counsel to investigate whether Postmaster General Louis DeJoy or other federal officials violated the Hatch Act by enacting changes in mail delivery service. Read More ANALYSIS The Postal Service and the Election: Q&A with a Former Postal Regulator For an expert view on USPS changes that could impact the delivery of mail-in ballots, POGO turned to former Postal Regulatory Commission member Ruth Goldway. Read More TESTIMONY Testimony in Support of Increased Transparency and Reform of FISA Surveillance Recent, limited reforms to increase transparency have been insufficient to answer critical questions concerning how much and in what ways FISA surveillance impacts individuals. Read More ICYMI: PANEL DISCUSSION Everything on the Table: The Case for Rethinking the Pentagon Budget POGO's Mandy Smithberger participated in a panel discussion about waste in the Pentagon budget and the extent to which defense spending is actually making us safer. Watch SPECIAL EVENT Calling All Law Students: Emergency Moot Court Competition The Constitution Project at POGO will host its first-ever emergency moot court competition, through which participants will be given a problem that mimics the kind of real-world scenario that would require immediate redress for conduct by the federal government and an emergency petition for relief before a federal district court. Registration is open through September 16, 2020. Register QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The fact that [Louis DeJoy] was a clear political donor to the president raises the question: who is he working for? ... He has clear political leanings that favors this administration, which raises questions. Why was he appointed in the first place?” Tim Stretton, Policy Analyst, on NPR ONE LINERS “I realize there was a premium on getting the money out quickly, but modern banking technology surely could have done far better than it did.” Danielle Brian, Executive Director, in Business Insider   “I’m sitting here in amazement. After 26 years in law enforcement, I've never seen anything with this level of sophistication. It literally sounds like a Hollywood movie.” Wayne McElrath, Senior Investigative Adviser, in the Daily Beast   “If something falls into a gray zone, I recommend people seek OSC's Hatch Act advice before assuming something is either okay or a violation.” Nick Schwellenbach, Senior Investigator, in Government Executive   “The well-banked, the well-lawyered and the politically well-connected did benefit from this program in a way that absolutely undermined the effectiveness of this program for those smaller businesses.” Liz Hempowicz, Director of Public Policy, in the New York Post   “Just giving (the Pentagon) a blank check and not challenging them on how that money is going to be spent won’t make us safer.” Mandy Smithberger, Director of the Center for Defense Information at POGO, in the Washington Times   “You'd almost think would be the other way around: the larger, more leveraged banks are able to take on this risk rather than the small ones.” Tim Stretton, Policy Analyst, in American Banker   “Using people’s data is not expressive, and even if it is, courts have long treated commercial speech differently than other types of speech.” Jake Laperruque, Senior Counsel with The Constitution Project at POGO, in World Magazine   “The overwhelming reason why people don’t use dissent channels, according to the people we’ve talked to, is they don’t think it would make a difference.” Nick Schwellenbach, Senior Investigator, in Federal News Network

pogo.org The Project On Government Oversight (POGO) is a nonpartisan independent watchdog that investigates and exposes waste, corruption, abuse of power, and when the government fails to serve the public or silences those who report wrongdoing. We champion reforms to achieve a more effective, ethical, and accountable federal government that safeguards constitutional principles.

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