A former Barack Obama press secretary was fired from his chief communications position in Minneapolis after allegedly stealing money and bank cards from metropolis staff to fund his behavior for kratom — a pure drug used to deal with opioid withdrawal.
Adam Fetcher, 42, was canned from his position as Chief Communications Officer (CCO) for the Metropolis of Minneapolis after only a 12 months on the job amid a police investigation into inner office theft and fraud, in addition to claims of substance abuse, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.
Fetcher, who made practically $200,000 a 12 months, is accused of stealing money and bank cards out of the desks and purses of three fellow metropolis corridor staff, racking up a whole lot of {dollars} in fraudulent prices at tobacco shops, reported the Star Tribune, citing sources conversant in the investigation.
Safety surveillance footage reportedly reveals Fetcher utilizing one of many stolen playing cards to purchase $481 of kratom — a natural complement typically used to handle opioid withdrawal signs — at a south Minneapolis smoke store, reported the outlet.
Underneath state legislation, card fraud of that quantity would qualify as a felony-level offense if prosecutors determine to cost Fetcher.
Employees on the smoke retailer — lower than a mile from Fetcher’s dwelling — went to the police after a girl known as claiming somebody had made a transaction on the enterprise with out her permission.
The subsequent time Fetcher made certainly one of his frequent visits to the shop, staff photographed him and adopted him exterior.
“We advised him, ‘Hey, we all know what you’re doing,’” retailer supervisor Hamza Zamara advised the Star Tribune, including that workers later offered Fetcher’s license plate quantity to the police.
The alleged thefts passed off between Might and June, simply weeks after Fetcher returned from a work-approved rehab heart for an unspecified substance use dysfunction.
In February, he took 9 weeks of non-public go away for remedy, returning to his duties in mid-April.
Kratom is derived from Asian plant leaves and may have each stimulant and sedative results relying on its dosage, in line with the Mayo Clinic
Usually marketed as a temper booster, it isn’t listed as a managed substance and may be legally bought over-the-counter at native tobacco and nook shops.
Fetcher was appointed by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in July 2025, serving as town’s first-ever cabinet-level CCO, incomes a reported annual wage of just about $190,000.
He beforehand served as deputy nationwide press secretary for the Obama administration, occurring to carry senior communications roles within the personal sector for Patagonia, Rivian, and Lyft.
However on July 1, he was abruptly dismissed from his position.
On Wednesday, an e mail alerting metropolis staff to latest experiences of “lacking money, debit, or bank cards,” and unauthorized prices, was despatched out by Metropolis Operations Supervisor Margaret Anderson Kelliher.
The e-mail didn’t clarify the circumstances of Fetcher’s exit, however stated that he was being changed within the interim by a former communications director with the state’s Administration and Funds workplace, Chris Kelly.
“I do know this data could also be regarding and troubling, and I need to guarantee you that the Metropolis takes this kind of report significantly and has acted accordingly,” Kelliher wrote, in line with the e-mail obtained by the Star Tribune.
“Though we can not present extra particulars, we now have no motive at the moment to imagine there may be any ongoing threat of theft,” she continued.
Fetcher’s protection legal professional, Nicole Kettwick from the Minnesota agency Subramanian & Kettwick, declined to remark.
Courtroom data present he has no different prison historical past in Minnesota apart from minor visitors infractions.
Police submitted a case file in opposition to Fetcher to the Hennepin County Legal professional’s Workplace for potential prison prices on Tuesday.
The case stays beneath evaluation, a spokesperson for the County Legal professional’s Workplace stated.
