WASHINGTON — The chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee plans to subpoena documents related to mail delays and voting by mail from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, she announced Monday.
The committee's chairwoman, Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., says DeJoy has withheld documents from Congress.
The coronavirus pandemic has set off a partisan fight over voting by mail, with Democrats pushing to expand the availability of mail-in ballots to reduce the number of people voting in person on Election Day. Led by President Donald Trump, who has railed against mail-in voting, Republicans have resisted expanded mail-in voting.
Critics have pointed to a slowdown in the U.S. Postal Service as a potential Election Day problem, resulting in the congressional investigation.
DeJoy has already testified before the committee.
Maloney issued her notice of intent to issue the subpoena in a 13-page memo to DeJoy on Monday, which said lawmakers haven't received requested documents from DeJoy and the Postal Service, including changes that he had planned to implement at the agency.
"Despite urgent requests from Members of the House and Senate for Mr. DeJoy to produce documents regarding the nature, scope, and effects of his sweeping changes, as well as other matters, it is clear that a subpoena has become necessary to further the Committee's investigation and help inform potential legislative actions," the memo says.
A committee aide said Maloney plans to serve the subpoena Wednesday.
Maloney said hundreds of members of Congress have requested information and documents over the summer.
The requests are about delays in deliveries of mail, medications and other materials. The requests have also asked about potential delays for election mail.
The four-page subpoena specifically requests documents and communications since mid-June related to the number of Postal Service collection boxes, potential impacts for people who get medications through the mail, impacts for veterans or active service members and the potential effects on the timely delivery of election mail, among other issues.
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Maloney said in her memo that she had asked that documents requested from DeJoy be produced by last Wednesday and warned that if he didn't hand them over, she would issue a subpoena.
Two days later, DeJoy said in a letter to the committee, "I trust my August 24 testimony before the Committee on Oversight and Reform clarified any outstanding questions you had."
