Washington Post (EDITORIAL): Authorities must get to the bottom of Postmaster DeJoy’s alleged manipulation of campaign donations

09.10.2020 / By Washington Post Editorial Board
Washington Post (EDITORIAL): Authorities must get to the bottom of Postmaster DeJoy’s alleged manipulation of campaign donations

If the allegations are true, Mr. DeJoy would be in violation of federal election laws that prohibit so-called straw donations because they are a way of evading transparency requirements and contribution limits that are so crucial to the conduct of fair elections. Other possible violations include prohibited use of corporate money and coercion of employees. There is a five-year federal statute of limitations, but there is no time limit in North Carolina for the prosecution of felonies, including campaign violations. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (D) said an investigation is warranted and Common Cause North Carolina on Wednesday filed a complaint. Even Mr. Trump, with his high tolerance of wrongdoing by his allies, acknowledged the need for investigation. We urge Congress and North Carolina authorities to act expeditiously in getting to the bottom of this troubling matter.

WHEN U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy appeared last month before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) asked him if he had ever pressured any company employees to donate to President Trump’s campaign and later paid back those employees. Mr. DeJoy was taken aback and clearly furious. “That’s an outrageous claim, sir, and I resent it. . . . The answer is no,” he said.

Mr. DeJoy’s outrage seems misplaced given the recent report by The Post alleging that he used that exact subterfuge from 2003 to 2014 to benefit other Republican candidates and burnish his standing as a top party fundraiser, positioning him to get his current job. The allegations strike at the heart of campaign finance laws; Mr. DeJoy’s response, delivered via a private spokesman, that he believes he always complied with fundraising laws and regulations is simply inadequate. He must answer more questions — and because the Republican-controlled U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors has decided to blindly stand behind the embattled director, it is good that there will be investigations by the House oversight committee and authorities in North Carolina, where the possibly illegal activity was alleged to have occurred. …

If the allegations are true, Mr. DeJoy would be in violation of federal election laws that prohibit so-called straw donations because they are a way of evading transparency requirements and contribution limits that are so crucial to the conduct of fair elections. Other possible violations include prohibited use of corporate money and coercion of employees. There is a five-year federal statute of limitations, but there is no time limit in North Carolina for the prosecution of felonies, including campaign violations. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein (D) said an investigation is warranted and Common Cause North Carolina on Wednesday filed a complaint. Even Mr. Trump, with his high tolerance of wrongdoing by his allies, acknowledged the need for investigation. We urge Congress and North Carolina authorities to act expeditiously in getting to the bottom of this troubling matter.

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