The U.S. Postal Service launched an investigation into one of its workers for allegedly trashing about 300 direct mail pieces advocating for Republican Rep. Thomas Kean, Jr. of New Jersey in a dumpster at a Pennsylvania supermarket.
A woman wearing a USPS uniform was seen on video surveillance driving up next to a dumpster at a Shop-Rite in Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania, and removing several postal cartons out of the car trunk before tossing them into a dumpster and then driving away, The New Jersey Globe reported.
The recording of the incident, which occurred two weeks ago, was turned over to USPS investigators. It is not known if the same postal employee emptied additional trays of mail into more dumpsters
The pro-Kean mailers were originally sent by an independent expenditure committee tied to the national Republican Party and were on their way to 7th District voters in Succasunna, part of Roxbury Township in Morris County one of the more GOP heavy municipalities.
“We saw her dump it,” a security company official working for the supermarket told the New Jersey Globe.”
A security official is heard saying on the video, “We have a license plate. She has a Pennsylvania plate, but it looks like the mail’s from Jersey.”
This is the second known incident within the tri-state area which Republican political mailers were intercepted, destroyed and dumped on the way to their intended recipients.
Over 200 pieces of political mailers in support of GOP congressional candidate Alison Esposito were found strewn near a creek in the Hudson Valley, according to the New York State Republican Party. The New York GOP filed a complaint with the US Postal Service over the alleged “election interference.”
Mr. Kean is facing off against Democrat Sue Altman in a competitive election that could decide which party controls the lower chamber of Congress.
The New Jersey Republican told the Globe he found the incident to be “deeply troubling.”
“I believe in the security of our elections and voting by mail, but this incident is deeply troubling. I hope the USPS acts swiftly to resolve whatever crimes have been committed, and I urge them to be open and transparent about the specifics of this incident,” Mr. Kean said. “Protecting the integrity of our democracy is imperative.
Although political mailers were disposed of this time, in 2020 Nicholas Beuchene, a 26-year old postal carrier from Kearny, New Jersey pled guilty to charges that he trashed a mass number of mail, including about 200 vote-by-mail ballots sent to West Orange, into a dumpster.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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