Did Postmaster General Louis DeJoy Break The Law? In Surprise Move, Trump Backs Investigation

On Sunday, the Washington Post reported accusations that current Postmaster Louis DeJoy had acted improperly by reimbursing employees for campaign contributions to political candidates. The accusations, made by five people who had worked for DeJoy’s company, New Breed Logistics, have prompted calls by Democrats for an investigation. On Monday, the calls for an inquiry gained another high-profile supporter…

President Trump.

The reporting by the Washington Post included claims by former employees of DeJoy’s company that they were “urged by DeJoy’s aides or by the chief executive himself to write checks and attend fundraisers” at his home in North Carolina. DeJoy is accused of then directing that the employees receive bonuses order to compensate them for their contributions. If proven to be true, the accusations would constitute a violation of federal campaign finance laws.

On Monday, when President Trump was asked during a press conference if  he supported an investigation into the claims against DeJoy, he said “sure” and that he would support his removal if he is found to have committed wrongdoing. The President then proceeded to compare the accusations against the Postmaster General to those made against made against Trump himself.

“Yeah if something can be proven that he did something wrong, always,” the President said. “”Always. They’ve been looking at me for four years – they found nothing. Four years, think of it. For four years. From the day I came down the escalator I’ve been under investigation by sleaze. And they found nothing. They found nothing.”

Trump continued: “A friend of mine said you have to be the most innocent, honorable man to ever hold the office of president.”

The news is the latest blow to the embattled Postmaster General, who has come under fire for recent decisions to change practices at the United States Postal Services, including the decision to remove high-speed mail, cut postal workers hours, and remove mail collection boxes. Under pressure from critics and Congressional overseers, DeJoy has agreed to pause and reverse some, but not all, of those decisions until after the election.

But more than just a headache for DeJoy, the new accusations and the prospect of an investigation into the Postal Service’s top executive, is sure to increase anxiety about the readiness of the national mail services less than 60 days prior to the nation’s general and presidential elections. With more Americans expected to vote by mail than ever before, having the Postmaster General distracted by his own personal issues is sure to prompt even greater concern.

And for a President who is typically quick to defend administration officials before he criticizes them, Trump’s openness to an investigation into DeJoy is perhaps not a surprising as it may seem. The President has been very vocal of his criticism of the Postal Service, and more turmoil at the independent agency will allow Trump to cast even more doubt in its effectiveness. That doubt has been a key strategy in Trump’s campaign against mail-in ballots – even though the President himself has regularly voted by mail.

Regardless of the reason, Trump’s openness to an investigation into DeJoy puts the Postmaster General, and the Postal Service generally, back in the hot seat at a precarious moment in the agency’s history. And unfortunately for DeJoy, it’s now first-class legal problems, not just  first-class mail, that he will likely need to address in the days and weeks ahead.