NC Attorney General calls for investigation into US postmaster for alleged campaign contribution fraud

North Carolina's Attorney General is calling for an investigation into current US postmaster Louis DeJoy.

A new report from the Washington Post quoted former employees who said DeJoy and his company pressured employees into making political contributions to GOP candidates.

Those employees told the Washington Post that he later reimbursed them through bonuses.

DeJoy was a major fundraiser for the GOP – which eventually led to his role as the postmaster general.

In a tweet today Attorney General Josh Stein said, "It is against the law to directly or indirectly reimburse someone for a political contribution. Any credible allegations of such actions merit investigation by the appropriate state and federal authorities."

DeJoy alleged to have illegally reimbursed employees for campaign contributions

On Sunday, the Washington Post published a story alleging that US Postmaster Louis DeJoy had previously reimbursed private-sector employees for making political contributions. DeJoy is a longtime Republican megadonor and fundraiser, and led efforts to raise money for the 2020 Republican National Convention.

Reimbursing employees for political contributions is illegal under both federal and North Carolina law.

Common Cause and other groups filed a lawsuit against DeJoy less than three weeks ago, alleging that actions undercutting the delivery of mail violate the constitutional right to vote, because of the burden they place on voters choosing to vote by absentee ballot.

Karen Hobert Flynn, President of Common Cause, said, "It’s illegal for any person to reimburse another person for political contributions. Such 'straw donor' schemes demonstrate contempt for our nation's campaign finance laws, subverting contribution limits, donor intent and transparency laws, among others. By disguising the true source of campaign funding, straw donor schemes perpetrate a fraud on the voting public."

Common Cause is exploring the possibility of filing legal complaints to hold DeJoy accountable for these alleged campaign finance violations.