united-states elections postal-service
Do the Postmaster&#39;s actionsviolate 18 U.S. Code &#167; 595. Interference by administrative employees of Federal, State, or Territorial Governments?
<p>According to the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/595" rel="nofollow noreferrer">US Code Title 18 Section 595</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Whoever, being a person employed in any administrative position by the United States, or by any department or agency thereof...uses his official authority for the purpose of interfering with, or affecting, the nomination or the election of any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I'm not a legal expert, but as far as I can tell, Postmaster DeJoy is a person employed by the United States government, is using his official authority as leader of the USPS, for the purpose of affecting the 2020 presidential elections by reducing the capabilities of the USPS to process mail-in ballots. Am I missing something here, or are his actions indeed a violation of federal law?</p>

<p><strong>Probably not</strong></p>
<p>There's a difference between <strong>knowing</strong> DeJoy is guilty, and <strong>proving</strong> he is guilty. The first is a matter of your personal views on epistemology; the second is a matter of law.</p>
<p>The statute says an official cannot use <em>&quot;his official authority for the <strong>purpose</strong> of interfering with...&quot;</em></p>
<p>In other words, in order to charge DeJoy, the government needs evidence that he is making these changes for the <em>purpose</em> of interfering with the election. According to news reports, DeJoy claims his purpose is legitimate: To balance the USPS budgets. He claims the PO is losing so much money that drastic cuts are required unless Congress increases funding.</p>
<p>Given that the USPS is running a deficit, it will very hard to prove that DeJoy's explanation is just a smokescreen, that his <em>real</em> purpose is to screw up the election. So, unless there is a smoking gun, it seems likely he would not be charged, let alone found guilty.</p>
<p><strong>Note: Edited for clarity in light of comments</strong></p>
