Updated Jul 27, 2026
/Andy Burnham calls for significant cuts to UK welfare spending/Former Obama Aide Adam Fetcher Charged With Felony Fraud in Minneapolis/China central bank sets yuan reference rate at 6.7911 per dollar/Citizens Bank to exit lending ties with CoreCivic and GEO Group/I-CA0184 declares $408.96-per-share cash dividend, payable July 30/Oil falls, U.S. stock futures rise as U.S.-Iran pause sends markets into Fed week/Andy Burnham calls for significant cuts to UK welfare spending/Former Obama Aide Adam Fetcher Charged With Felony Fraud in Minneapolis/China central bank sets yuan reference rate at 6.7911 per dollar/Citizens Bank to exit lending ties with CoreCivic and GEO Group/I-CA0184 declares $408.96-per-share cash dividend, payable July 30/Oil falls, U.S. stock futures rise as U.S.-Iran pause sends markets into Fed week
NewsSOS
← NewswireWorld

Former Obama Aide Adam Fetcher Charged With Felony Fraud in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, July 27. Minneapolis prosecutors charged Adam Fetcher, the city's former chief communications officer and an Obama administration press aide, with a felony count of financial transaction fraud Wednesday. Fetcher, who city records show earned nearly $200,000 annually in the role, is accused of stealing a coworker's debit card to buy kratom at a local smoke shop, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

By Sofia Almeida2 min read
Share

MINNEAPOLIS, July 27. Minneapolis prosecutors charged Adam Fetcher, the city's former chief communications officer and an Obama administration press aide, with a felony count of financial transaction fraud Wednesday. Fetcher, who city records show earned nearly $200,000 annually in the role, is accused of stealing a coworker's debit card to buy kratom at a local smoke shop, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

The allegations against Fetcher

Fetcher is also suspected of taking cash and bank cards from the desks and bags of three fellow city employees, spending hundreds of dollars at Minneapolis smoke shops in total, according to the Star Tribune. He was fired from the communications director position in early July while a police investigation was underway. His attorney declined to comment to Fox News Digital. Fetcher is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 11.

Sources familiar with the matter told the Star Tribune that Fetcher had recently returned from a rehabilitation program for substance abuse and had disclosed that treatment to coworkers before the alleged thefts. Court records show he had no prior criminal history at the time, aside from traffic violations.

Kratom is commonly used to ease opioid withdrawal symptoms, though the substance can itself become addictive. It has drawn increasing federal and state regulatory scrutiny in recent years.

Political pressure on Mayor Frey

The charges add to a difficult stretch for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Frey already faces scrutiny over separate fraud allegations tied to members of the city's Somali community, a constituency he has cultivated close political ties with. The city's top communications post has been vacant since the early July firing.

Fetcher's career before Minneapolis

Fetcher served as assistant press secretary at the Department of Homeland Security for roughly eight months in 2011, then moved to the Department of the Interior as press secretary through July 2012. He left federal service to join Obama's re-election campaign as deputy national press secretary. After politics, he held senior communications posts at Patagonia and Lyft.

A representative for former President Obama did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital by publication time.

Related reading

Keep reading

All bulletins →
WorldJuly 26, 2026

Missouri AG opens inquiry into Cori Bush non-profit with no IRS tax-exempt record

JEFFERSON CITY, July 26. Missouri Attorney General Catherine L. Hanaway has opened an investigation into Poltivist Power Inc., a non-profit linked to former Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., after no IRS record confirming the group's claimed 501(c)(4) status could be found. Bush solicited d

2 min read
WorldJuly 26, 2026

Matt Damon dropped to 167 pounds for Nolan's 'The Odyssey' after six months on a gluten-free regimen

LOS ANGELES, July 26. Matt Damon weighed 167 pounds through the filming of Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey," down from his standard range of 185 to 200 pounds, the actor disclosed in recent television and podcast appearances. The figure, which he described as his high school wei

2 min read
WorldJuly 26, 2026

Democratic Socialists notch New York wins as Black and working-class Hispanic precincts backed their opponents, returns show

NEW YORK, July 26. Democratic Socialist candidates have posted two primary wins in New York City in recent months, but precinct-level returns show the coalitions that carried both races wer

2 min read

Key takeaways

Frequently asked

What is Adam Fetcher accused of doing?

He is accused of stealing a coworker's debit card to buy kratom at a smoke shop and of taking cash and bank cards from three fellow city employees, spending hundreds of dollars at Minneapolis smoke shops.

What was Adam Fetcher's role and salary in Minneapolis?

He was the city's chief communications officer, a position city records show earned nearly $200,000 annually.

When is Fetcher due in court?

Fetcher is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 11.

What was Fetcher's career before Minneapolis?

He served as assistant press secretary at the Department of Homeland Security in 2011 and press secretary at the Department of the Interior through July 2012, then joined Obama's re-election campaign as deputy national press secretary, and later held senior communications posts at Patagonia and Lyft.

Why is this case politically significant for Mayor Frey?

It adds to a difficult stretch for Mayor Jacob Frey, who already faces scrutiny over separate fraud allegations tied to members of the city's Somali community, a constituency with which he has cultivated close political ties.