WASHINGTON _ President Donald Trump sought to turn the U.S. Postal Service into a "political tool" that could be used to punish Amazon.com Inc., and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin led the effort, a former member of the agency's board of governors told lawmakers on Thursday.
David C. Williams, vice chairman of the board of governors until he stepped down in April, said it was clear that Trump "was determined that the Postal Service should inflict harm on Amazon delivery by sharply raising parcel shipping prices on everyone by 400% or more."
Monica Crowley, a Treasury Department spokeswoman, released a letter on Twitter from Mnuchin to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in which the Treasury chief said that he wants the Postal Service to have a "strong and sustainable future."
Amazon's chairman, Jeff Bezos, owns The Washington Post, which Trump has criticized for its coverage of him. Trump also has frequently said the post office is losing money on Amazon "last-mile" deliveries, even though their agreement is described as a money-maker for the service.
Williams made his comments in testimony prepared for an informal hearing organized by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, a group of liberal House Democrats.
Williams said he resigned "when it became clear to me that the administration was politicizing the Postal Service, with the Treasury Secretary as the lead figure for the White House in that effort."
