USPS OIG Shines Light on Questionable Leaders

USPS OIG Shines Light on Questionable Leaders
By Ivan D. Butts
NAPS National President

Hello, NAPS brothers and sisters. The USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG), led by Inspector General Tammy Hull, recently issued its semiannual report to Congress for spring 2025 that covered Oct. 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025 (https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/reports/ 2025-04/fy2025_spring_sarc.pdf).

While there is much to unpack in this thorough, investigatory work put together by Hull and her team, I would like to look at the report beginning on page 22, “Senior Executive Investigations.” One of the challenges NAPS has when looking at these negative actions of USPS leaders who have compromised their social and moral integrity is how to keep our members from becoming collateral damage in the process.

It’s certainly a fact that keeping compromised leaders in place while their actions are being investigated can result in significant collateral damage, both tangible and intangible. When leaders suspected of wrongdoing remain in power, employees left under their leadership may lose faith in the integrity of the institution. Employees may become apathetic, cynical or disengaged and feeling that justice and accountability are selectively applied.

Leaving the compromised leader in place also provides an opportunity for them to continue using their position to obstruct investigations, destroy evidence, intimidate witnesses or influence outcomes. Also, this raises questions whether these leaders can exact control over resources that might be able to manipulate internal systems, legal departments or personnel to shield themselves.

If a leader’s behavior is part of an ongoing pattern (e.g., corruption, abuse of power, fraud), the damage may continue or worsen. Also, if these leaders have imposed undue influence on others in support of their bad behavior, others may be mimicking the behavior or feel emboldened to engage in misconduct themselves.

When leadership is compromised, focus and vision can become blurred. This toxic culture can cause employees to be unsure how to act, fearing retaliation or making wrong moves. This can shift the focus of employees from corporate progress to crisis management, distracting from long-term goals and public service in America’s Postal Service.

There are many examples of real-world cases where compromised leadership led to organizational failure or crisis. These include Enron (2001)—corporate fraud and ethical collapse; Wells Fargo Fake Accounts Scandal (2016)—pressure from the top; and Uber (2017)—culture of toxic leadership, to name a few.

Most notably is Purdue Pharma and its management advisers, McKinsey & Company Inc.—a global management firm based in New York. In May 2013, Purdue engaged McKinsey to recover lost OxyContin® sales.

The company retained McKinsey to conduct a rapid assessment of the underlying drivers of OxyContin performance, identify key opportunities to increase near-term revenue and develop plans to capture priority opportunities. This 2013 effort was called “Evolve to Excellence” (E2E) and included McKinsey advising Purdue on how to “turbocharge” the sales pipeline for OxyContin by, among other strategies, intensifying marketing to high-value prescribers.

On Dec. 13, 2023, the FDA announced that McKinsey & Company agreed to pay $650 million to resolve a criminal and civil investigation into the firm’s consulting work with Purdue. I highlight this due to McKinsey & Company’s ongoing relationship with USPS Headquarters and its 32-page advisory document: “The endgame for postal networks—How to win in the age of ecommerce” (the_endgame_for_postal_net-works_how_to_win_in_the_age_of_e-commerce.pdf). This document reads like the blueprint for “Delivering for America” and deserves continued analysis. But back to the point of this column.

While due process and the presumption of innocence are foundational in fair systems, they must be balanced with interim safeguards, such as suspensions, oversight or restricted powers to prevent the kinds of collateral damage listed in this column. Thanks to Inspector General Hull and the USPS OIG team for its transparency and integrity in reporting.

In solidarity…