.@repjimcooper tells me his question during DeJoy's House testimony about reimbursing campaign donations was informed by a tip he got.
He also says “corporate CEOs pressuring employees to contribute to political campaigns” was the focus of his Harvard Law School thesis. #USPS
Rep. Jim Cooper adds: "With these megadonors, the question is always: ‘What did they do to squeeze these people [to contribute]?’ That’s the crux of it. The donations have to be voluntary."
I asked how Democrats would hold DeJoy to account, and Rep. Cooper noted that the committee has “124 former employees” they could subpoena, as well as the HR and payroll records referenced in the Washington Post reporting.
More from Rep. Cooper:
"During the hearing, I asked DeJoy: 'Is your backup plan to be pardoned like Roger Stone?' That seems out of the question now with Trump trying to distance himself."
Rep. Cooper described DeJoy’s alleged fundraising practices as an “illegal mobster scheme,” and suggested he cashed in on the political clout he amassed as a GOP megadonor: “DeJoy may well have bought an ambassadorship for his wife and postmaster general for himself.”
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Following his 2019 yearbook scandal, @GovernorVA Ralph Northam told me in an interview he would prioritize racial equity policy. As his term ends tomorrow, it's worth noting the breadth and depth of what he and state Democrats accomplished. Here's a long and yet incomplete list:
- Removed Confederate statues, including Lee statue
- Increased minimum wage
- Signed sweeping voting rights reform, including 45 days early voting, Election Day as holiday, automatic registration and repealed voter ID law
- Ended death penalty
- Signed comprehensive police reform, including ban on no-knock warrants
- Legalized marijuana
- $500M in funding for Virginia HBCUs
- Tuition-free community college for low-income students
- Restored historic African-American cemeteries
NEWS: President Biden intends to appoint Ron Stroman, Anton Hajjar and Amber McReynolds to the three seats that remain open on the #USPS Board of Governors and cement Democratic oversight of the agency, two sources familiar tell me.
The appointments, which include two men of color and a woman, would greatly diversify the board.
The current board is made up of six white men -- all of whom previously had limited experience with the Postal Service.
Ron Stroman -- who had been the highest-ranking African-American in the Postal Service's history -- left the agency just prior to DeJoy's appointment. He became a noted critic of the new postmaster general as well as an often-cited expert about DeJoy's policy changes.
"If anyone didn’t know it before, we know it now. What beats deep in the hearts of the American people is this: Democracy.
The right to be heard. To have your vote counted. To choose the leaders of this nation. To govern ourselves."
Biden: "In America, politicians don’t take power — the people grant it to them.
The flame of democracy was lit in this nation a long time ago. And we now know that nothing — not even a pandemic —or an abuse of power — can extinguish that flame."
Biden: "In this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed.
We the People voted. Faith in our institutions held. The integrity of our elections remains intact.
And so, now it is time to turn the page. To unite. To heal."
BIDEN CABINET NEWS: Joe Biden could announce his health team as soon as next week, which would include HHS Secretary, CDC Director and COVID czar -- for which Jeff Zients remains a favorite, a transition official tells @PeterAlexander.
The leading choices for Biden's HHS Secretary are former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo.
Notably no longer named as a top contender: New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, sources tell @HeidiNBC and @PeterAlexander .
For Biden's Education Secretary: Dr. Sonja Santelises, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, and Linda Darling Hammond, a Stanford education professor, are among the top contenders, per a transition official.
Also on the shortlist: Lily Eskelsen García and Randi Weingarten.
NEW: The heads of legacy civil rights groups say they haven't been consulted about key cabinet picks and are frustrated they haven't met with Biden since the election. - latest from @spettypi and me
NAACP President Derrick Johnson: "We haven’t had a meeting with him ... we have not had direct conversations about key appointments. Civil right leaders in this country should be on par if not more than other constituency groups he has met with."
However, Arisha Hatch -- vice president of Color of Change, which was founded in 2005 -- says her organization is having almost daily calls with various members of the Biden team about issues like racial justice, and policy at major agencies like the Department of Treasury.