USPS reviews security clearance concerns at Golden Post Office as ballots show up in mail

As Jefferson County ballots enter the mail, the U.S. Postal Service says it is reviewing concerns about whether some people handling mail at the Golden Post Office had completed required background screening and security clearances.

Austin Wolf, who has worked for the Postal Service in various capacities over the past five years, said his concerns about security at the facility began about two years ago when a shortage of mail carriers was followed by an influx of people he did not recognize working inside the post office.

Wolf said he understood the importance of postal security requirements after leaving a Postal Service job and later returning as a contractor.

"I have been a postal employee. I quit and began contracting, and I was under the impression that my clearance still existed."

Wolf said he was informed that his clearance became invalid when he resigned and that he could not return to work inside the building until completing the screening process again.

"It was a very rigorous process, fingerprints, background check," he added. 

Wolf said he became concerned after observing individuals working in restricted areas and handling mail. He said it appeared some people were sharing badges and questioned management about who was being allowed access to secure areas.

He later reported his concerns to the Postal Service's Office of Inspector General but believed they were not receiving sufficient attention.

Despite his concerns, Wolf said he has not witnessed any ballots being improperly handled.

"Just to be clear, I have not seen anything happen to a ballot that shouldn't have happened."

A job posting for the Golden Post Office states that a criminal background investigation includes a 10-year review of locations where an individual has lived, worked, or attended school in the United States or its territories. It states that anything less would be considered incomplete.

On Oct. 4, CBS Colorado asked USPS whether contractors working at the Golden facility had completed the required clearances.

The following day, a USPS spokesperson thanked CBS Colorado for bringing the concerns to the agency's attention and said officials would coordinate internally to gather the facts.

CBS Colorado later learned a staff meeting was held at the Golden Post Office that same day. 

"They started collecting all the information from the contractors that were there that didn't have clearance. They asked them to leave and said they would expedite their processing," Wolf said. "We got answers back, and there were quite a few that weren't cleared and still can't be cleared."

After the meeting, USPS provided CBS Colorado with an updated statement saying postal officials were reviewing the concerns and emphasizing that only properly authorized individuals are permitted to handle mail and access postal facilities.

The agency said any contractor who has not completed required screening will not be authorized to perform mail-handling duties until those requirements are met.

USPS said Jefferson County ballots will be handled under established election mail procedures and security protocols.

The agency declined to provide detailed figures on how many contractors work at the Golden Post Office or how many, if any, were working without the required clearances. Instead, USPS directed CBS Colorado to submit a federal records request, a process that could take several weeks. CBS Colorado has submitted that request.

Voters who want to track their ballot this election can follow its path online.