DeJoy planned to pursue a career as a certified public accountant, but instead took over his father’s failing trucking business on Long Island.īeginning in the 1980s, Mr. His father was a truck driver, and both his parents had 8th grade educations, he told The Triad Business Journal in 2016.Īfter graduating from Stetson University with a business degree, Mr. DeJoy is one of just five postmasters general to come to the post from the private sector since 1971, when the Post Office ceased to be a cabinet department and was reorganized as the Postal Service, an independent federal agency. The service has struggled economically for years, and its financial problems have been worsened by the coronavirus pandemic.Ī Republican Party and Trump campaign megadonor, Mr. DeJoy has argued that the changes are necessary to help the Postal Service become financially stable. The changes - including eliminating employee overtime, removing mail-sorting machines from postal facilities around the country, and reorganizing or eliminating Postal Service leadership - have slowed mail service in some areas and sparked concerns over whether the service will be able to handle the historically high volumes of mailed ballots expected in the November election. Lawmakers have been heavily scrutinizing DeJoy’s appointment as postmaster general by the USPS Board of Governors, as DeJoy was suggested by Republican members of the board, rather than an outside executive search firm, and may have been able to evade a background check as a result.Po stmaster General Louis DeJoy has drawn stinging criticism for the changes he has made at the United States Postal Service since assuming the position on June 15. DeJoy’s alleged financial conflicts of interest and potential campaign finance violations have also come in addition to other damaging allegations about his time at New Breed, including allegations that the company had a history of worker mistreatment, court documents alleging DeJoy forged his brother’s signature on bank documents in a bid to force him out of the company, and a USPS audit showing that New Breed’s contracts with the agency may have cost the USPS $53 million as compared with other potential contracts.

In her testimony Monday, Graves also raised concerns about DeJoy’s political donations to GOP candidates and the Trump campaign around the time of his appointment, noting that DeJoy “made a dramatic increase” in his donations directly after the postmaster general opening was announced, which “exceed the amount he gave in the prior four years.” Former USPS Board of Governors Chairman David Fineman also testified he was “extremely concerned” about changes undertaken at the USPS under DeJoy and that they “seriously voters’ ability to have their votes counted.” Key BackgroundĭeJoy has come under significant criticism since starting as postmaster general in June, as changes he’s implemented have sparked nationwide mail delays and sowed fears about his ties to President Donald Trump ahead of the November election.

Jody Hice (R-Ga.) calling it “an absolute farce.” Tangent Republicans criticized Monday’s House hearing as politically motivated, with Rep. So either has not been doing his job, over the past 13 weeks or so, or he’s committed a crime that could be a felony.” Chief CriticĭeJoy has previously denied in congressional testimony that he has any improper financial conflicts of interest, and spokesman Monty Hagler said about the alleged campaign finance violations that DeJoy worked at New Breed with the Federal Elections Commission “to ensure that he, New Breed Logistics and any person affiliated with New Breed fully complied with any and all laws.” The USPS Board of Governors has also continued to express support for DeJoy amid the allegations, with board member John Barger testifying to senators last week that the board is “tickled pink” with DeJoy as postmaster general.

“How can you run the post office and make decisions.if you own millions of dollars of stock in a company that is trucking the mail around?” Painter testified.

Postmaster general