Senator Josh Hawley requests postal service documents regarding executive bonuses and discarded mail.

Sen. Hawley Launches Investigation into USPS Amid Mail Dumping Scandal

Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) has initiated a congressional inquiry into the United States Postal Service (USPS). The focus of this investigation includes internal records related to discarded mail, potential criminal actions, and hefty executive bonuses amid growing tensions with Postmaster General David Steiner.

In a pointed letter issued Tuesday for the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Crime and Counterterrorism Subcommittee, Hawley explained that the inquiry was prompted by Steiner’s failure to adequately respond to questions during a recent committee hearing. This hearing addressed the revelation of thousands of dumped mail pieces discovered in St. Louis back in April.

Following the hearing, Steiner sent a response to Hawley, attributing responsibility for the mail issues to an ongoing investigation by the Office of Inspector General (OIG). Interestingly, he also criticized the senator, suggesting a lack of “decency” among Southerners.

On June 24, Hawley demanded Steiner’s resignation if he did not return his bonus, expressing incredulity at Steiner’s supposed unawareness of the well-known mail dumping situation.

In his Tuesday letter, Hawley sought all internal USPS communication about the St. Louis incident and asked for the date when Steiner was first apprised of it.

Moreover, the senator inquired whether any postal workers had been referred to the Department of Justice for criminal activities related to mail theft, delays, or destruction. He also questioned if there had been falsification of delivery data by postal employees to misrepresent delivery performance metrics.

Hawley is also scrutinizing the millions of dollars spent on “non-salary compensation” awarded to USPS executives over the past decade. He requested a detailed account of all compensation given to Steiner since he assumed his role, along with the criteria used to justify these bonuses.

In his letter, he remarked, “You seem to believe you deserve some kind of special respect. In truth, the people of Missouri deserve something more—you need to do your job.”

An audit conducted at the St. Louis distribution center highlighted serious delays, identifying “the worst cases of failure to deliver on time” documented by inspectors. Additionally, a separate audit in Kansas City noted that 100,000 pieces of mail were delayed over just a three-day span.