Democrats question changes in the Postal Service 2:41
(CNN) –– The embattled Director General of the United States Postal Service, Louis DeJoy, backed down on Tuesday and announced that all changes in the Postal Service would be suspended until after the November 3 elections, a decision that is known just when 20 Democratic states announced plans to file federal lawsuits.
DeJoy reported that some of the postponed decisions imply that the retail hours at post offices will not change, as well as that mail processing equipment and blue pickup boxes will remain in place and processing facilities will not be closed. of mail.
- LOOK: Democrats fight back in Trump's confrontation for the Postal Service
At least 20 Democratic attorneys general across the country have launched a multi-pronged legal effort to curb recent changes that disrupted mail delivery across the country, and also sparked allegations that Trump and his designees are trying to undermine the vote for mail.
Democratic attorneys general plan to argue that DeJoy is illegally changing mail procedures ahead of the 2020 polls as the agency prepares for an unusually high number of mail-in ballots as voters seek to avoid going to the polls where they could potentially catch coronavirus.
DeJoy "acted outside of his authority to implement changes to the postal system and did not follow proper procedures under federal law," said a statement from Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
Trump and the controversy over the vote by mail and the Postal Service 2:26The Postal Service (USPS) and DeJoy have maintained that the changes seek to improve the agency's dire financial situation. DeJoy also rejected allegations that he made these changes at Trump's request.
At least two lawsuits will be filed this Tuesday. One of them, led by the state of Washington, will be joined by Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Another group of Democratic attorneys general will file a similar lawsuit in federal court in Pennsylvania. These states include California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Delaware, Maine, and North Carolina.
- LOOK: US Postal Service warns states that it may not be able to deliver ballots on time according to current electoral rules
The Postal Service is also facing intense scrutiny from Congressional Democrats, who announced earlier this week that they will beef up their investigation into what they call "recent, far-reaching and dangerous operational changes in the Postal Service that are slowing the economy. mail and jeopardizing the integrity of the election.
DeJoy is expected to testify before a Senate committee this Friday and before the House Oversight Committee next week.
Trump and other Republicans have criticized the vote-by-mail vote, claiming unsubstantiated that it will lead to voter fraud. The president said last week that he opposes much-needed funding for the USPS because he doesn't want it to be used for vote-by-mail in November.
There has been no widespread voter fraud in US elections, and nonpartisan experts say that neither party automatically benefits when states expand access to voting by mail.
Study shows that fraud in postal vote is almost non-existent 1:58CNN's Devan Cole contributed to this report.
Donald Trump 2020 United States Elections United States Postal Service Mail Vote