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

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed the director of New York City's Office of Asylum Seeker Operations, the latest sign of escalating federal scrutiny into Mayor Eric Adams' administration.

Molly Schaeffer, who coordinates the city's efforts to get housing and social services for newly arrived migrants, received the information sharing request from federal authorities Friday morning, 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.

It was not immediately clear what information federal authorities were seeking or whether the subpoena related to 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 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 issue subpoenas in a hunt for evidence and potential witnesses, not necessarily because they believe the recipient has committed a crime.

Emailed inquiries to the U.S. attorney's offices in Manhattan and Brooklyn were not returned.

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.

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 the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan, which is examining 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. The 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 examining 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.