The U.S. Postal Service has widespread pileups of mail at its facilities amid Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's taking over of the struggling agency, according to the Postal Service's Office of Inspector General report to Congress.
DeJoy assumed his post in June and enacted reforms, but the changes have yet to solve the mass of problems and have "negatively impacted the quality and timeliness of mail delivery nationally," the report read, according to The Wall Street Journal.
DeJoy's USPS rejected the report's claims the reforms were transformational, calling its moves "normal 'blocking and tackling' initiatives necessary to meet the annual financial plan and to adjust to the perennial declines in mail volume that have been occurring for over a decade," the Journal reported.
Also, the USPS said the changes critiqued were efforts similar to those in place before DeJoy's arrival, per the report.
Democrats in Congress have accused DeJoy of politicizing mail delivery with a political attack. DeJoy was a Republican donor before taking over the agency during the Trump administration.
The watchdog noted on-time delivery of first-class mail – which included the delivery of mass mail ballots this election cycle – dipped below 80% from 90%, the Journal reported.
As of Sept. 3, on-time delivery was 86.8%, but still short of internal goals of 96%, per the watchdog.
DeJoy, a former logistics executive, has vowed to rework the financially struggling USPS structure to make it more efficient and effective. The annual deficit of the USPS was projected to be $7.6 billion this year.
DeJoy has moved to eliminate late and extra mail trips, changed the sorting system, and engaged in a corporate reorganization, the Journal reported.