Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has expanded his investigation into the U.S. Postal Service, accusing Postmaster General David Steiner of ignoring congressional oversight. The senator is demanding records concerning the agency's engagement with the consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal, a move that escalates his scrutiny of USPS's financial management and operational performance.
In a letter obtained by Fox News Digital, Hawley stated that his office has received no documents in response to an oversight request initially made on June 30. He informed Steiner that the investigation will now encompass USPS's hiring of Alvarez & Marsal, a firm retained to assist the postal service in planning for its financial future. Hawley expressed his expectation for immediate and full compliance with his oversight requests, questioning whether Steiner intends to disregard statutory oversight.
Hawley is seeking detailed records about Alvarez & Marsal, including who hired the firm, the total amount paid to the consultants, and whether their mandate included recommendations on closing rural post offices, limiting rural delivery, or reviewing executive compensation. He also inquired about USPS's plans to release the firm's findings to Congress or the public.
The senator raised concerns about the postal service's decision to hire outside consultants while projecting significant financial losses and continuing to award executive bonuses. "It is surprising to me that as you complain about this monetary crisis, you and other USPS executives continue to rake in annual bonus packages and have found plenty of cash to hire these outside consultants like A&M — all while service declines and far too many Americans are not receiving their mail," Hawley wrote.
This expanded inquiry follows Hawley's earlier investigation launched over dumped mail found in St. Louis, which demanded records on delivery delays, potential criminal misconduct, and executive bonuses. That probe was prompted by a contentious Senate hearing in June where Hawley questioned Steiner about the St. Louis incident. Hawley had previously criticized Steiner's response to the dumped mail and called for his resignation if he did not return his performance bonus.
Hawley highlighted that the USPS has incurred an estimated $25 billion in losses over the past three fiscal years and is projecting at least an $8.1 billion loss for fiscal year 2026, despite reforms enacted by Congress in 2022 to improve the agency's financial standing. He emphasized the need for Congress to be informed about the nature of the engagement with Alvarez & Marsal and their recommendations to ensure that USPS service standards, such as universal service and rural delivery, are not further diminished in any restructuring plans.
Hawley requested that USPS respond to his latest oversight questions by July 24. USPS had not immediately responded to a request for comment.
