Arizona Secretary of State wants investigation into USPS changes, President Trump
TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs wants to know if “President Trump, and others at his direction, has conspired to violate” an Arizona law that makes it illegal to “knowingly delay the delivery of a ballot.”
Hobbs emailed Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich Friday to ask the Election Integrity Unit to look into it. Hobbs tweeted about her request Friday morning, saying she wants to know “whether or not the Trump administration has committed a crime.”
According to her letter, her concerns stem from “recent changes at the United States Postal Service (USPS)” that she described as “deeply troubling.”
She cited four changes she finds potentially problematic:
- Elimination of overtime
- Not allowing letter carriers to make extra trips to ensure mail is delivered on time
- Hiring freezes
- Removal of mail sorting machines
“The effect of these changes, taken individually or together, is an extended transit period for mail,” Hobbs wrote. “The timing of such changes – just months before a major election in which a record number of people are expected to rely on USPS when exercising their fundamental right to vote – would be conspicuous on its own.”
Referring to President Donald Trump’s much-publicized criticism of mail-in voting, she said, “it’s clear that something more may be afoot here.”
The president has been outspoken about his belief that mail-in voting is rife with potential security issues, going so far as to tweet that voting by mail would result in “the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history.”
At the same time, the president and his wife have requested absentee ballots – by mail – so they can vote in their home state of Florida. According to the White House, absentee voting is different than mail-in voting.
As adamant as the president has seemed to be in his certainty that mail-in voting is an invitation to election fraud, Hobbs has been equally direct in her assertion that voting by mail is secure. Her message has been consistent.
"We are still intending to move forward to ensure that these elections are safe and secure and that voters have the information that they need."
For more details, you can find Arizona Family’s article, here.
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