Congresswoman alleges $20K in donor checks 'plundered by a USPS employee'

The campaign office of New York Rep. Elise Stefanik (R) is accusing postal workers of opening mail and stealing over $20,000 in donation checks while in transit through the United States Postal Service, Penn Live reports.

In a letter addressed to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, lawyers for the GOP congresswoman allege there is evidence that packages containing donations sent by the campaign were tampered with and stolen on four occasions between June and November. Stefanik's lawyers admonish the USPS response to the allegations and say the mail tampering puts their supporters at risk. The campaign's lawyer says, "the evidence indicates that Elise for Congress's packages were plundered by a USPS employee or contractor."

"These repeated security failures by USPS have not only resulted in the loss of nearly $20,000 in campaign contributions but also—and more alarmingly—have exposed hundreds of Congresswoman Stefanik's campaign supporters to potential identity theft or financial fraud," the attorney continues.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

The letter indicates that the USPS Office of Inspector General is investigating the incidents, but their response so far has been disappointing. The letter says investigators "indicated it would be difficult to identify the USPS employees or contractors who perpetrated these crimes unless and until one or more of Elise for Congress's supporters becomes the victim of identity theft or financial fraud."

In response, USPS spokesman Dave Paretenheimer says the agency received the letter and would respond to Stefanik's attorney "directly with our findings in this investigative matter."