What to Know
- NBC 6 cameras were at both facilities where Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz attempted to do a spot check after speaking with union members
- The congresswoman says she received pictures showing mail dating as far back as July at facilities in the area
- Wasserman Schultz told NBC 6 she went to one of the facilities in Opa-locka in February
A member of Congress from South Florida was denied entry to United States Postal Service facilities early Friday morning as questions remain over mail times for ballots ahead of the upcoming general election.
NBC 6 cameras were at both facilities in Opa-locka and Northwest Miami-Dade where Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz attempted to do a spot check after speaking with union members about conditions at processing centers across the area.
Caution tape was reportedly placed over a gate in the early morning hours at the first facility visited in Opa-locka to block entry when Wasserman Schultz arrived around 4 a.m.
“Hours ago, that tape wasn’t there," said Nick Mosezar from the National Postal Mail Handlers Union. "All of a sudden today security is a priority, yet this is one of the worst secured facilities in this state."
“This is an outrage, an absolute outrage,” Wasserman Schultz said. “If they think they are going to throw a bed sheet over what’s going on behind these doors, they are mistaken.”
Local
Wasserman Schultz told NBC 6 she went to the same facility in February, but was told she didn't follow proper protocol and would have to go through a training session before being allowed to enter.
She was also denied access to a second facility in Northwest Miami-Dade later in the morning.
The congresswoman, who sits on the House oversight committee for the USPS, says she received pictures showing mail dating as far back as July at facilities in the area.
“Postmaster (Louis) DeJoy has already obstructed the committee by failing to provide requested documents in a timely way. Now he’s denying Congress access to public facilities,” she said in a statement. “There are no children, defense secrets or sick patients behind those doors. Denying Congress access to the facilities, is denying the vital public oversight of our mail system.”
NBC 6 reached out to the USPS for comment, who responded by saying in part:
"The Postal Service welcomes visits from members of Congress at our facilities, and we routinely arrange for tours. We learned late yesterday afternoon that Representative Wasserman Schultz wanted to arrange for a tour at 4:00 am this morning. We spoke with her staff to explain that we were unable to set up the tour on such short notice, but would be happy to accommodate her at another time.”
