Federal prosecutors recently issued a subpoena to Molly Schaeffer, who heads the Office of Asylum Seeker Operations in New York City, as part of the ongoing investigation into the administration of Mayor Eric Adams. The subpoena was received on Friday morning, although the specific details of the information requested by federal authorities have not been disclosed. This development adds to the series of investigations surrounding Mayor Adams, a first-term Democrat and ex-police captain.
The person familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press, mentioned that it is unclear what exact information the federal authorities are seeking or whether the subpoena is connected to the various federal law enforcement inquiries involving Mayor Adams. Schaeffer redirected inquiries to the mayor’s press secretary, Fabien Levy, who did not provide any responses to phone calls. Additionally, attempts to reach the U.S. attorney’s offices in Manhattan and Brooklyn via email remained unanswered.
In recent weeks, federal authorities had confiscated the cell phones of several high-ranking advisors to Mayor Adams, including the schools chancellor, two deputy mayors, a longstanding advisor responsible for shelter contracts, and police commissioner Edward Caban, who resigned last week. These actions are reportedly linked to investigations supervised by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, which is exploring potential misuse of familial ties for financial advantages by the relatives of key aides to Mayor Adams.
Furthermore, a separate federal inquiry led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn is focusing on Winnie Greco, the director of Asian Affairs for the Adam’s administration. It is important to note that Molly Schaeffer has not faced any allegations of misconduct in connection with these investigations.