Washington Wins Lawsuit To Protect USPS From 'Damaging' Changes

SEATTLE — Washington state has won a lawsuit to protect the United States Postal Service from several changes that could have caused severe mail delays and a substantial impact on the upcoming presidential election.

The changes came from recently appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, and amid an ongoing attack on the postal service and mail-in voting from President Donald Trump. The changes removed mailboxes and turned off mail-sorting machines, among other sweeping moves.

Critics saw them as an intentional attempt to restrict the mail in advance of the presidential election, when many voters will be casting their ballots by mail for the first time ever.

In August, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee called the changes "efforts to suppress the votes of the American people" in a statement reading in part:

"There is no excuse for the Trump administration's assault on democracy. The U.S. Postal Service is a vital and trusted part of all our communities. The USPS does not just deliver ballots but also medication, paychecks, supplies and other crucial lifelines. To cut back and restrict this service at any time is inexcusable, but during a pandemic it is downright abhorrent."

When Washington announced the suit, the Attorney General's Office characterized them as "drastic operational changes that threaten critical mail delivery nationwide."

In particular, the office cited four major concerns that they sought to rectify:

• Ending the new "leave mail behind" policy which required trucks to leave post offices at specific times, regardless if mail had not been loaded.
• Requiring the Postal Service to resume their old policy treating all election mail as First Class mail, regardless of postage.
• Requiring the Postal Service to reassemble or reinstall any of the recently removed mail-sorting machines.
• Requiring the Postal Service to suspend all recent policy changes impacting mail service until after the November election.

13 other states joined Washington in the suit, which the coaliton filed in mid-August.

On September 10, Attorney General Bob Ferguson asked a Yakima judge to grant an injunction and immediately halt the operational changes— an injunction which was granted Thursday afternoon.

Shortly after, Ferguson announced the victory over social media.

The victory was also celebrated by Gov. Jay Inslee at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

"This is a major win for democracy," said Inslee. "We are confident in our elections, and we know this is going to add to this confidence by preventing the Trump administration from slowing down the mail and thereby reducing the effectiveness of our democratic voting system."

In deciding the ruling, Judge Stanely Bastian noted that Trump had repeatedly attacked mail-in voting, saying that his administration's changes to the USPS appeared to be an intentional attempt to slow down the mail.

“The states have demonstrated the defendants are involved in a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service,” Bastian said.

Bastian's decision will "substantially follow the state’s motion" according to the Attorney General's Office, meaning their four requests are to be granted effective immediately.

“Today’s victory protects a critical institution for our country,” Ferguson said. “Americans can now confidently vote by mail and have their voices heard.”

Ferguson has now filed 80 lawsuits against the Trump administration. The ruling marks Washington state's 35th victory against Trump. Of the remaining cases, 44 are awaiting ruling and just one has been lost, but is still in the process of being appealed.