Former Obama Administration Spokesman Charged With Felony Fraud

A former Obama administration official and senior Minneapolis spokesman is facing a felony charge after prosecutors accused him of stealing a coworker’s debit card and using it to purchase kratom.

Adam Fetcher, 42, was charged in Minnesota with one count of financial transaction card fraud. He most recently served as chief communications officer for the City of Minneapolis before being fired July 1 as police investigated the allegations.

Fetcher previously worked as an assistant press secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, press secretary at the Department of the Interior and deputy national press secretary for Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.

He later held communications positions at Patagonia and Lyft before joining Minneapolis city government, where he reportedly earned nearly $200,000 annually.

According to court documents, Fetcher allegedly used stolen debit cards belonging to coworkers to make approximately $481 in purchases at Minneapolis smoke shops.

Police said surveillance footage showed him using one of the missing cards to buy kratom, a plant-derived substance known for opioid-like effects.

Three city employees reportedly told investigators that cash or debit cards had disappeared. The Minneapolis Police Department submitted its findings to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, which filed the felony charge.

Sources told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the alleged thefts began shortly after Fetcher returned from rehabilitation treatment for a substance-abuse problem.

Employees at one smoke shop reportedly became suspicious of his transactions.

“We told him, ‘Hey, we know what you’re doing,'” store manager Hamza Zamara said.

Minneapolis officials confirmed that the city cooperated with police after the allegations emerged.

Fetcher’s attorney declined to comment, while a representative for Obama reportedly did not respond to a request for comment.

Court records indicate Fetcher had no previous criminal history beyond minor traffic violations.

The case is unrelated to broader fraud and public-corruption investigations in Minnesota, including the Feeding Our Future scandal.

Fetcher is scheduled to make his first court appearance Aug. 11. Prosecutors will be required to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt, and he remains presumed innocent unless convicted.

The accusations nevertheless represent an extraordinary fall for a highly paid government communications official whose job was to protect the public image of Minneapolis City Hall.