In the world of politics, body people are the often unsung personal aides who keep candidates and elected officials on track of their schedules. They see to their every need while enjoying an unrivaled level of access and proximity to power.
There are two cardinal rules of the job: be discreet and protect the boss.
Whether and how that loyalty becomes tested is now among the questions in the wake of a disclosure from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office that a former body person for Eric Adams communicated with and coordinated a fundraiser for one of six people who allegedly funneled illegal donations to Adams.
Rachel Atcheson, who became Adams’ body person after serving as a campaign aide and policy strategist, was recently identified in a court filing as the “Campaign Representative-1” mentioned in a sprawling indictment that accuses the six donors of trying to buy political influence with concealed donations that tapped into the city’s generous matching funds program. The court filing was first reported by the Daily News.
“It’s unusual and almost unfettered access,” said Basil Smikle, a former Democratic strategist who managed rival mayoral candidate Ray McGuire’s campaign in 2021.“This is a person who would be privy to a lot of information.”
According to prosecutors, Atcheson helped Dwayne Montgomery, one of the defendants who served on the NYPD with Adams, organize a fundraiser in August 2020.
She also received an email from Montgomery that included a receipt for a donation from a so-called straw donor, a person who illegally tries to pass off another person’s contribution in their own name.
Montgomery asked that he and another individual “be credited for the contribution,” according to the indictment.
Neither Atcheson nor the mayor have been accused of wrongdoing.
Nonetheless, the revelation of Atcheson’s role marks how close the investigation has come to Adams’ inner circle.
“Based on the filings to date, it is possible…
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