STRAW DONOR SCHEME?

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy Under FBI Investigation for Campaign Fundraising at Ex-Company

Employees at DeJoy’s old company have claimed he gave them larger bonuses for donating to Republican candidates.

U.S. Postmaster General Louis Dejoy is reportedly the subject of an FBI investigation into political fundraising at his former company. Employees at New Breed Logistics, a North Carolina-based company that DeJoy was the CEO of, told Washington Post reporters that Dejoy compensated them for contributions to Republican candidates through paycheck bonuses. This would constitute what is known as a “straw donor” scheme, some say, which runs afoul of both state and federal election laws.

DeJoy, a prolific Republican donor, had gained notoriety as postmaster general for imposing a series of cost-cutting measures that some Democrats say were an attempt to hamper mail-in voting. A spokesman for DeJoy confirmed that he is the subject of a DOJ investigation but denied the charges. “He has always been scrupulous in his adherence to the campaign contribution laws and has never knowingly violated them.”