Last month I was a lead plaintiff to sue Postmaster General Louis DeJoy & Donald J. Trump. Yesterday U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero ruled that the United States Postal Service cannot cut funding to employee overtime before the Nov. 3 elections, and moreover must ship ballots as First-Class after Oct. 15.
This is a historic moment because it serves to hold the Trump administration accountable for actions that undermine our democratic process and peoples’ right to vote. It also recognizes the invaluable role that the Postal Service and its workers play in the preservation of fair and equitable elections, especially during a pandemic when a record number of Americans will be voting by mail while in-person voting remains a risk to vulnerable peoples’ health.
An injunction issued by Judge Marrero ordered USPS to pre-approve all overtime for postal staff from Oct. 26 to Nov. 6 to ensure votes are counted after a concerted effort to hobble its own capacity ahead of the presidential election. This is a result of the lawsuit spearheaded by myself, New York Democratic congressional nominee Mondaire Jones and elections attorney Ali Najmi was filed in August.
I am proud to defend our state and our country in the courts. I will not sit back and watch Trump & DeJoy undermine this election.
