Bid to Overturn $107-Million USPS Mail Contract Approval ‘Likely to Succeed’

Malin Moench, the Public Representative appointed by the Postal Regulatory Commission to represent the views of the general public in the review of the proposed contract between USPS and direct mail giant Valassis, said the Commission misapplied antitrust principles in approving the $107-million deal.

The deal offered Michigan-based Valassis discounts of at least 20 percent on postage for any additional mailing it carries out for major national retailer advertising beyond existing volumes.

Yesterday, the Commission’s Public Representative...said regulators were wrong to rule that the USPS contract was “fair competition” with the newspaper industry’s advertising business solely because it will be above-cost.