Trump Supports Probe of Postmaster General DeJoy

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testifies during the House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington on Aug. 24, 2020. Tom Williams/Pool via Reuters

President Donald Trump on Monday said he supports an investigation into Postmaster General Louis DeJoy after former employees at DeJoy’s company claimed they were pressured to donate to Republicans.

“I don’t know too much about it,” Trump said, adding that he read the story containing the allegations.

Asked if he would support an investigation, the president said he would. “Let the investigations go, but he’s a very respected man,” he said.

Asked if he supports DeJoy losing his post, Trump added, “If something can be proven that he did something wrong.”

“I think he’s a very honest guy, but we'll see,” Trump told reporters at the White House in Washington.

DeJoy donated to Trump’s 2016 campaign but the president was not directly involved in appointing him.

President Donald Trump speaks during a labor day press conference at the North Portico of the White House in Washington on Sept. 7, 2020. Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

DeJoy led New Breed Logistics, a shipping operation, before being appointed to head the U.S. Postal Service earlier this year by the service’s Board of Governors.

“Louis was a national fundraiser for the Republican Party. He asked employees for money. We gave him the money, and then he reciprocated by giving us big bonuses,” David Young, who directed human resources at New Breed Logistics for about 15 years, told the Washington Post.

No other former employees quoted in the piece were named.

A spokesman for DeJoy told the paper, which is owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, that DeJoy wasn’t aware of any pressure put on employees making contributions.

“Mr. DeJoy was never notified by the New Breed employees referenced by the Washington Post of any pressure they might have felt to make a political contribution, and he regrets if any employee felt uncomfortable for any reason,” the spokesman said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks to reporters in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, on March 20, 2020. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

During questioning by Congress last month, a representative asked whether DeJoy paid back top executives through bonuses or awards.

“That’s an outrageous claim, sir, and I resent that,” he said. “The answer is no.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement that the story contained “very serious allegations that must be investigated immediately, independent of the Trump Justice Department.”

“North Carolina’s Attorney General—an elected official who is independent of Donald Trump—is the right person to start this investigation,” he added.

And Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), during an appearance on MSNBC, called on DeJoy to resign.