A Dem Congressman from New Jersey just made a stunning move that will most likely backfire in ways we don’t even know yet.
Bill Pascrell, Jr. just made a criminal referral to the New Jersey Attorney General to look into President Trump and U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.
He said, “Tonight I’ve made a criminal referral to the New Jersey Attorney General asking him to empanel a grand jury to look at subversion of NJ election laws by donald trump, louis dejoy, and other trump officials in their accelerating arson of the post office.”
Pascrell wrote to the NJ AG, “Your office has done much to ensure that elections in our state are carried out during this pandemic. However, these efforts are being undermined by Donald Trump’s attempts to interfere in our state and across the nation.
Therefore, I call upon you to open a wide-ranging investigation of Trump’s actions to interfere in our elections and to empanel a grand jury for the purpose of considering criminal indictments for Donald Trump, U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, members of the United States Postal Service (USPS) Board of Governors, and any other officials in the Trump government that are participating in or have participated in the subversion of New Jersey state elections.
In a live televised interview on August 13, 2020, Donald Trump bragged that he is withholding support to the U.S. Postal Service to interfere with voting-by-mail across the country to rig the November 2020 election in his favor.
Trump’s open admission confirms recent reporting of widespread delays to Americans’ mail and package delivery and the deliberate sabotage of USPS functions and operations at the behest of administration orders.
This includes the removal of hundreds of mail sorting machines from postal facilities across the country (with some being thrown into dumpsters) ii and orders from Postmaster DeJoy to deliberately slow mail service.
In addition, he has suggested that states must pay first class postage for mail-in ballots, in contrast to the long-established practice of charging the marketing rate (20 cents). After soliciting responses from my own constituents in the Ninth District, I can attest that our neighbors are facing habitually slower mail delivery across North Jersey communities.
Even though it is unclear if the turmoil at USPS is impacting New Jersey less or more than other states, the Washington Post suggests delays in New Jersey are acute and our citizens are being hurt.
Because movement of our mail crosses channels of interstate commerce, obstruction of the mails generally is subject to federal jurisdiction.vi Nevertheless, interference in voting-by-mail and state elections is amply covered by New Jersey state law.
This includes Title 19:34-20, Soliciting or procuring or assisting unlawful registration of other violations of election law;
Title 19:34-29, 2 Obstructing or interfering with voter;
Title 19:34-35, Interference with conduct of election;
Title 19:53A-15, Tampering with or willfully injuring record or equipment or interference with conduct of election; penalty; application of laws; and Title 19:63-28, Violations, third degree crime; penalties.
The deliberate interference with state elections by the Trump administration and its adjutants may run afoul of these and perhaps other state criminal statutes designed to protect the integrity of the electoral process. As you know, Governor Murphy has announced that New Jersey will conduct its November 2020 general election voting almost entirely by mail, following our all-mail primary elections of July 7.
Only 81 days remain before the general election this fall and voting will commence much sooner in a matter of weeks. We do not have much time to prepare and our state, like others, will rely absolutely on the USPS’s efficiency. Amid this ongoing pandemic, the USPS will be the electoral heart and engine or New Jersey’s and America’s electoral machinery.
Consequently, all of us must do whatever we can right now to protect the integrity of our elections. I implore you to open an immediate investigation into whether the Trump administration’s attacks on the U.S. Postal Service violate New Jersey state laws against electoral subversion, and if so, pursue criminal and civil charges against Donald Trump, Louis DeJoy, and any other high-ranking officials involved. American democracy is today in question. What we do today can make a difference in our future. Please act decisively.”
Tonight I’ve made a criminal referral to the New Jersey Attorney General asking him to empanel a grand jury to look at subversion of NJ election laws by donald trump, louis dejoy, and other trump officials in their accelerating arson of the post office. pic.twitter.com/mxqbV8EmVn
— Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) August 14, 2020
