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Another Mayor Adams aide comes under federal scrutiny as officials visit her home and family
By
Elizabeth Kim
and
Bahar Ostadan
Published Sep 20, 2024
Modified Sep 20, 2024
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Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images
By
Elizabeth Kim
and
Bahar Ostadan
Published Sep 20, 2024
Modified Sep 20, 2024
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Federal law enforcement officials on Friday issued a subpoena to a top aide in the Adams administration and visited a building where her parents live, according to surveillance footage provided to Gothamist and a report by the Associated Press.
The Associated Press reported that federal prosecutors issued the subpoena to Director of Asylum Seeker Operations Molly Schaeffer. A doorman at her parents’ building who spoke to Gothamist confirmed that law enforcement officials visited on Friday morning.
The purpose of the visit was not clear. There are at least four ongoing federal investigations into Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign and his top aides. Earlier this month, federal agents reportedly seized the phones of a top mayoral adviser who had handled contracts tied to the migrant crisis.
A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York declined to comment. The office for the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Surveillance video footage obtained by Gothamist shows two law enforcement officials walking into the building, one holding a small briefcase. The doorman said the officials went upstairs and were inside the building for about 10 minutes. He said he did not see them leave with any boxes.
A representative for the building’s management office declined to comment.
Reached by phone, Schaeffer denied that officials had searched her own apartment, but did not deny that officers had visited her.
“Searching is a strong word,” she said, and referred questions to a City Hall spokesperson. Her father did not return phone messages.
Mayor Adams walks with Molly Schaeffer, center, while visiting asylum seekers taking shelter at James Madison High School in Brooklyn on January 10, 2024.
Benny Polatseck / Mayoral Photography Office
Fabien Levy, the deputy mayor for communications, declined to answer multiple questions about the visits.
“While we won’t comment on an ongoing investigation, as we have repeatedly said, we expect all team members to fully comply with any ongoing inquiry,” Levy said in a statement. “Molly Schaeffer is an integral part of our team and works hard every day to deliver for New Yorkers.”
Schaeffer has worked closely with Adams on city services for its migrant population. The mayor said she accompanied him to a meeting last month with a group of Brooklyn residents complaining about migrant shelters in their neighborhood.
She has been in her current role for about a year and half. Prior to that, she was the deputy chief of staff to Adams and senior emergency adviser.
Adams has referred to Schaeffer as a member of a team working on migrant issues that includes senior adviser Timothy Pearson. Pearson was among those whose phones were seized earlier this month, according to multiple reports.
Pearson, a close friend of Adams, was in charge of overseeing emergency contracts, selecting sites for shelters and managing their operations. He has been at the center of several controversies, including a lawsuit alleging that he aimed to make money off of the contracts.
The lawsuit filed over the alleged misconduct in Manhattan Supreme Court claims that Pearson said: “People are doing very well on these contracts. I have to get mine. Where are my crumbs?”
The city’s emergency no-bid contracts for migrant services total $3 billion and have been criticized for mismanagement and waste. Earlier this year, the city said it would no longer employ DocGo, a medical services company that was accused of improper conduct, including hiring subcontractors who mistreated and lied to migrants and threw out massive amounts of food.
Speaking with reporters on Tuesday, the mayor credited Pearson for his cost analysis on the migrant crisis.
“We asked him to go in and look in and we saved hundreds of millions of dollars by bringing down the costs, everything from security contracts to other contracts,” he said.
Pearson is also being sued for alleged sexual harassment and retaliation by former and current NYPD officers who worked under him. He is under investigation for a physical altercation with shelter staffers.
Adams has repeatedly defended Pearson when faced with questions about his conduct. Their friendship stretches back decades to their days in the NYPD.
This story has been updated with additional information about senior mayoral aide Timothy Pearson and the city's handling of emergency contracts for migrant services.
Charles Lane and Samantha Max contributed reporting.
Tagged
new york city
Adams investigations
Politics
eric adams
Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Bahar Ostadan
Bahar Ostadan covers the NYPD and public safety. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or message Bahar on Signal at 646-740-7335.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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