Lawmakers, concerned about potential politicization of the Postal Service, have summoned Mr. DeJoy to testify in hearings before the Senate on Friday and the House on Monday. “I recognize that it has become impossible to separate the necessary long-term reform efforts we will need to undertake from the broader political environment surrounding the election,” Mr. DeJoy plans to tell senators. “And I do not want to pursue any immediate efforts that might be utilized to tarnish the Postal Service brand, particularly as it relates to our role in the democratic process.”Thursday’s hearing centered in part on the role played by Mr. Mnuchin, one of Mr. Trump’s longest-serving cabinet members, who has been focused on overhauling the Postal Service. Mr. Mnuchin on Thursday rebutted suggestions that he had done anything but play a proper role as the federal government’s lender to the Postal Service and in fulfilling his duty to try to help fix its financial woes. “Neither I nor any other Treasury official played any role in recruiting or suggesting Mr. DeJoy for the position of postmaster general,” Mr. Mnuchin wrote, adding that he was surprised to learn about the selection.

Source: New York Times August 20, 2020 19:01 UTC