Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has initiated a congressional investigation into the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), seeking internal records concerning dumped mail, allegations of criminal wrongdoing, and substantial executive bonuses. The probe was launched after Postmaster General David Steiner reportedly failed to adequately address questions during a recent Senate hearing.
Hawley, leading the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism, stated in a letter that the investigation stems from Steiner's response to a hearing where the Postmaster General deflected responsibility for a significant mail dumping incident discovered in St. Louis in April. According to Hawley, Steiner attributed the issue to an ongoing Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigation and also commented on the senator's perceived lack of "decorum."
The senator is demanding all internal USPS communications related to the St. Louis mail dumping and the precise date Steiner was first made aware of the incident. He also inquired whether any postal employees have been referred to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution concerning the theft, delay, or destruction of mail. Additionally, Hawley seeks clarification on whether postal workers have been falsifying scanning data to artificially inflate delivery performance metrics.
The investigation also targets what Hawley described as millions in "non-salary compensation" paid to USPS executives over the past decade. He has requested a detailed statement of all compensation paid to Steiner since his appointment, along with the performance metrics or "scorecards" used to justify these bonuses.
An audit of the St. Louis distribution center reportedly found the "worst case of failed on-time delivery" observed by the inspector general in field operations. Another audit in Kansas City identified approximately 100,000 delayed pieces of mail over a three-day period.
The USPS had not immediately responded to a request for comment at the time of reporting.