Federal authorities subpoena NYC mayor's director of asylum seeker operations

[September 21, 2024]  By JAKE OFFENHARTZ

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors scrutinizing a web of top officials in New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration subpoenaed the director of the city's Office of Asylum Seeker Operations to testify before a grand jury.

Molly Schaeffer, who coordinates the city’s efforts to get housing and social services for newly arrived migrants, received the subpoena at her Brooklyn home Friday, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the subpoena.

The authorities did not seize Schaeffer's electronic devices — as they have done to several other Adams’ aides in recent weeks — but served her a subpoena requesting her presence in front of a federal grand jury in Manhattan, the person said.

It was not immediately clear when the testimony would take place or how it could fit within the multiple ongoing federal law enforcement investigations swirling around Adams, a first-term Democrat and former police captain.

Schaeffer directed questions to the deputy mayor for communications, Fabien Levy, who declined to comment on the nature of the investigation.

“We expect all team members to fully comply with any ongoing inquiry,” Levy wrote in a text message. “Molly Schaeffer is an integral part of our team and works hard every day to deliver for New Yorkers.”

Schaeffer has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Federal prosecutors often use subpoenas to get testimony or records from people with information relevant to an investigation, not necessarily because they believe the person has committed a crime.

A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney's offices in Manhattan declined to comment.

In her current role, Schaeffer works closely with another top mayoral aide, Tim Pearson, a longtime confidante of Adams who oversees contracts for new shelters built by the city to house asylum seekers.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks to members of the press at a news conference in New York, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Earlier this month, federal agents seized the phones of Pearson, along with several other top deputies to the mayor, including the New York City police commissioner, the school's chancellor and two deputy mayors. The police commissioner, Edward Caban, resigned last week.

Those seizures are believed to be related to probes overseen by Manhattan federal prosecutors examining, at least in part, whether the relatives of top-ranking Adams' aides used their family connection for financial gain.

In July, Adams received his own subpoena from federal prosecutors seeking information from him, his campaign, and City Hall. That request came eight months after FBI agents seized the mayor's phones and an iPad as he was leaving an event in Manhattan.

Those subpoenas requested information about the mayor’s schedule, his overseas travel and potential connections to the Turkish government, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigations.

Adams also has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

A separate federal probe led by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Brooklyn is believed to be focused on Adam's director of Asian Affairs, Winnie Greco.

Schaeffer has led the office of asylum seeker operations since its creation last year, overseeing the city’s response to the arrival of more than 200,000 migrants and the wide-ranging effort to house and feed the surge of new arrivals.

She previously worked for Adams’ predecessor, Mayor Bill de Blasio.

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