Disturbing conflict of interest

Read now: COVID-19 Test Giveaway a Potential Conflict for USPS’ DeJoy In January, the federal government launched a program that used the United States Postal Service to distribute free, at-home COVID-19 tests to any American household that requested them. This is one of the largest disaster relief efforts in USPS history, involving a complex network of processing centers and post offices, and hundreds of thousands of postal workers. One of the primary suppliers of the free COVID-19 tests, Abbott Laboratories, stands to rake in a hefty profit from the distribution effort. In March, it was announced that all households could order a second set of tests through the USPS. Though this is a positive development for our preparedness against the virus, we’ve uncovered some disturbing information: Postmaster General Louis DeJoy has invested in Abbott Laboratories stock, and his financial disclosures show no evidence of him having fully divested. That means the free, at-home COVID-19 test initiative could be adding to the personal wealth of DeJoy. Read our analysis on this troubling conflict of interest. The pandemic is still a very real issue that Americans are confronting. During a crisis like this, the public shouldn’t have to second-guess whether some government officials are more concerned with their stock portfolio than with getting Americans the supplies they need to face this crisis. Read more about DeJoy’s conflict of interest and our larger concerns about insider trading on our website. Thank you for staying informed. Walt Shaub Senior Ethics Fellow Project On Government Oversight Contribute

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