A former Obama administration press secretary has been fired from his senior communications role with the City of Minneapolis after allegedly stealing cash and credit cards from co-workers to fund a kratom habit.
Adam Fetcher, 42, was dismissed as Minneapolis’ Chief Communications Officer after police opened an investigation into alleged workplace theft and fraud.
According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, Fetcher is accused of taking cash and credit cards from the desks and purses of at least three City Hall employees before making hundreds of dollars in unauthorized purchases at local tobacco stores.
Investigators say surveillance footage captured Fetcher using one of the stolen cards to buy $481 worth of kratom, a herbal substance often marketed for pain relief and opioid withdrawal.
Store employees contacted police after a customer reported an unauthorized charge. When Fetcher returned, staff allegedly photographed him, followed him outside, and recorded his license plate number.
“We told him, ‘Hey, we know what you’re doing,’” store manager Hamza Zamara told the Star Tribune.
Minneapolis chief communications officer fired amid probe into alleged cash, credit card theft https://t.co/8KUYKcgw1j
— The Minnesota Star Tribune (@StarTribune) July 9, 2026
The alleged thefts took place between May and June, weeks after Fetcher returned from a nine-week leave for treatment at a rehabilitation facility for an unspecified substance use disorder.
Fetcher was appointed by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in July 2025 as the city’s first cabinet-level Chief Communications Officer, earning nearly $190,000 a year.
Before joining City Hall, he served as deputy national press secretary in the Obama administration and later held communications positions at Patagonia, Rivian, and Lyft.
City employees were notified this week of reports of missing cash, debit cards, and credit cards, as well as unauthorized charges.
In an email obtained by the Star Tribune, City Operations Manager Margaret Anderson Kelliher wrote, “I know this information may be concerning and troubling, and I want to assure you that the City takes this sort of report seriously and has acted accordingly.”
“Although we cannot provide additional details, we have no reason at this time to believe there is any ongoing risk of theft,” she added.
Police have submitted the case to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office for possible criminal charges, and the matter remains under review.
Fetcher has so far declined to comment. Court records show he has no prior criminal history in Minnesota beyond minor traffic violations.
