Attorney General Frosh Joins Motion for Preliminary Injunction Against USPS Disruptions

Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh, together with a coalition of other states, filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to immediately halt the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) operational changes that have led to cratering postal performance. The changes also threaten the ability of the USPS to properly handle the November presidential election, which is expected to have a record number of mail-in ballots due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For weeks, we have heard from Marylanders who have been impacted by Postmaster DeJoy’s policies, which have disrupted the operations of the USPS,” said Attorney General Frosh. “The slowdowns in USPS service have caused Marylanders to miss delivery of crucial prescription medications, legal documents, election mail, paychecks, benefit checks, and more. These stories are heart-wrenching, and completely avoidable but for DeJoy’s disruptive policies. This needs to stop now, so Marylanders, and people across the country, can once again rely on the postal service to do its job.”

According to a press release:

The motion for preliminary injunction, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, seeks the following:

  • Immediately stop the Postal Service’s “leave mail behind” policy, where postal trucks are required to leave at specified times, regardless if there is mail still to be loaded;
  • Require the Postal Service to continue its longstanding practice of treating all election mail as First Class mail, regardless of the paid postage;
  • Require the Postal Service to replace, reassemble, or reconnect any removed mail-sorting machines that are needed to ensure timely processing and delivery of election mail;
  • Require the Postal Service to abide by Postmaster General DeJoy’s commitment to suspend the recent policy changes that have affected mail service until after the election

Attorney General Frosh, along with 13 other attorneys general, filed a lawsuit over the changes to the Postal Service last month. The USPS changes, including eliminating or reducing staff overtime, halting outgoing mail processing at state distribution centers and removing critical mail sorting equipment, threaten the timely delivery of mail to millions of Americans who rely on the postal service for everything from medical prescriptions to ballots.

A hearing on the preliminary injunction motion is scheduled for September 17.

Attorney General Frosh is joined in the motion by the attorneys general from Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Visit the Maryland Attorney General website for more information.