The Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA), a Washington D.C.-based non-profit organization, has filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in support of Lebene Konan in her case against the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The case involves allegations that USPS employees discriminated against Konan based on her race and withheld her mail. The USPS contends it is immune from lawsuits alleging intentional wrongdoing under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA).
David Williams, president of TPA, stated: “America’s mail carrier is not above the law. The USPS has the audacity to argue before the Court that it can act with impunity and wantonly discriminate against consumers without any fear of legal sanction. This was absolutely not the intention of Congress when it enacted the FTCA in 1946. The legislation was designed to shield the USPS from lawsuits arising from the agency failing to deliver the mail because of mistakes and mix-ups. It was never meant to be a ‘get-out-of-jail-free card’ for egregious acts and government abuse. The USPS sorely needs accountability, but the government is trying everything to prevent that from happening.”
Ross Marchand, TPA Senior Fellow, commented: “The USPS has been losing vast sums of money, including $9.5 billion in fiscal year 2024. Consumers have had to deal with declining service standards and employees who think they are above the law. If the government prevails in this case, there will simply be no way of checking the agency’s monopoly power or getting justice for victims of the USPS’ misdeeds. This would be an unfair outcome that gets Congress’s intent completely wrong. Lebene Konan deserves her day in court.”
The Taxpayers Protection Alliance Foundation advocates for government transparency by educating the public through research, investigative reporting, and analysis about excessive taxation and spending by all levels of government.
