AG Healey joins multistate coalition to sue President Trump over U.S. Postal Service

BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey announced today that Massachusetts has joined a multistate coalition that will file a federal lawsuit challenging nationwide operational changes at the U.S. Postal Service. The lawsuit seeks to halt unilateral changes at the Postal Service and ensure safe, secure vote-by-mail across the country.

Service and policy changes at the Postal Service, including limiting staff overtime and so-called “late or extra shifts,” have impacted the prompt delivery of mail to Americans who rely on the Postal Service for everything from medical prescriptions to ballots.

“By interfering with the Postal Service, President Trump is putting both our democracy and people’s health at risk,” said AG Healey. “We are suing to ensure the integrity of our electoral process and to make sure each and every vote is counted during this election.”

“We have always relied on the Postal Service to deliver ballots for voters who are not able to vote in person, and this year is no different,” said Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin. “Massachusetts voters need to know that they can depend upon the Postal Service to deliver their ballots in a timely manner, so that those who are not able to go to their polling places this fall can still have their voices heard.”

“In the middle of a pandemic, right before America begins to vote, Donald Trump and his hand-picked, campaign mega-donor Postmaster General are attempting to undermine the integrity of our election by sabotaging the United States Postal Service,” said Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern. “This timing is more than suspicious – it’s outrageous, it’s wrong, and I believe it’s unconstitutional. If this president can abuse the power of his office to cheat in an election, then any president after him will be able to get away with the same thing. We cannot and will not let that happen to our country.”

“Employees on the workroom floor are seeing the impacts of the new Postmaster General’s policy changes,” said John Flattery, president of the American Postal Workers Union, Central MA Area Local 4553. “These delays are the result of the Trump Administration’s willingness to harm an American institution like the Postal Service in the hope of winning an election. On behalf of the more than 600 members of this local union, I want to thank Attorney General Healey for stepping in to help protect the Postal service and allow the dedicated Postal employees to do what they do best, deliver the mail.”

The multistate lawsuit, led by Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, will assert the Postal Service unlawfully implemented widespread changes to mail service nationwide. The suit seeks to immediately reverse the agency’s actions, and guarantee safeguards and standards for election mail.

According to Healey, recent changes at the Postal Service instituted by Trump-appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy have already resulted in mail delays in some parts of the country. Those changes include requiring late-arriving mail to be left for delivery the following day, and limiting the length of shifts, meaning not all mail that goes out for delivery is delivered.