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Law & Justice · North America

FBI says it is jointly investigating Rich Schaffer with New York state

The FBI said its agents are working with New York state investigators on a probe involving Suffolk County Democratic Party Chairman Rich Schaffer. The bureau criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul for comments it said could politicize joint investigations during an election campaign.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 3 outlets' reporting · Article text read from 1 of 3 outletsHow it's made

View timeline · 8 entries
3 outletsLatest reporting 3 min read
Coverage: Right OnlyL 0 · C 0 · R 3
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Updat3 graphic · Map data: Natural Earth Natural Earth (public domain)

What happened

Key facts

  • The FBI said its agents are working jointly with New York state investigators on a probe involving Suffolk County Democratic Party Chairman Rich Schaffer (per New York Post).
  • Gov. Kathy Hochul called the investigation involving Rich Schaffer a “political hit job.” (per New York Post, oann.com).
  • An FBI spokesperson said commenting on joint investigations during an election campaign to score political points was irresponsible and could undermine the investigative process and harm candidates (per New York Post).
  • The FBI accused Hochul of playing politics ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3 (per New York Post).
  • The report said Hochul acknowledged that she did not know the particulars of the claims under investigation (per New York Post).
  • Schaffer was reelected to the top Suffolk County Democratic Party post last month despite accusations that he tried to threaten party members and offered money to some if they voted for him (per New York Post).
  • The New York Post said its initial reporting on the investigation cited sources interviewed by federal and state agents (per New York Post).
  • The Western Journal headline described the FBI as criticizing Hochul for what it called an “irresponsible” attempt to “score political points” before an election (per westernjournal.com, New York Post).

The brief

The FBI said its agents are working jointly with New York state investigators on a probe involving Rich Schaffer, chairman of the Suffolk County Democratic Party. The New York Post reported that the bureau criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul after she described the investigation as a “political hit job.”

An FBI spokesperson told the Post that commenting on joint state and federal investigations during an election campaign to gain political points was irresponsible. The spokesperson said such comments undermine the investigative process and harm candidates. The bureau’s criticism centered on Hochul’s public remarks about the investigation. The Post reported that Hochul acknowledged she did not know the particulars of the claims being investigated. In remarks quoted by the newspaper, she said, “Anything coming out of the Trump administration days before an election… is calculated as a political hit job.” The account does not specify the particulars of the allegations. Schaffer was reelected to the party’s top post last month, the Post reported. The newspaper said he faced accusations that he had tried to threaten party members and offered money to some in exchange for votes to keep the position. Those are allegations, not findings established in the account. The Post said its initial reporting on the investigation cited sources interviewed by federal and state agents. The FBI’s statement confirmed that federal agents and state investigators are working jointly, while the newspaper’s description of the investigation does not detail its scope or any investigative steps. The FBI accused Hochul of playing politics ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3. The Western Journal’s headline also characterized the bureau’s statement as criticism of Hochul for an “irresponsible” attempt to “score political points.” One America News Network’s headline said the FBI rebuked Hochul after she called the probe a “political hit job”; that headline likewise links the bureau’s criticism to her comments. The reported dispute is over the governor’s characterization of the probe and the FBI’s objection to comments about joint investigations during an election campaign.

Why it matters

  • The FBI says public comments about joint investigations during an election campaign can undermine the investigative process and harm candidates.
  • Hochul’s comments and the FBI’s criticism put the handling of a probe involving a party chairman into a public dispute ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3.
  • Schaffer’s reelection and the reported allegations involving party members and votes are directly connected to the party leadership post under scrutiny.

What to watch next

  • Whether the FBI or New York state investigators provide further details about the joint probe involving Rich Schaffer.
  • Whether Hochul makes further comments about the investigation or responds to the FBI’s criticism.
  • Whether the allegations about threats or offers of money are addressed by investigators or by Schaffer.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
3 source articles · 3 unique outlets
Outlet political mix: Right Only· 3 Right
Where the outlets are based: US/Canada 100%
Outlet political mix
Right Only
Left
Center
Right
0 outlets
0 outlets
3 outlets
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
3 unique outletsDominant coverage: US/Canada
Coverage imbalance
  • Coverage is currently concentrated among Right-rated outlets (3 of 3 rated sources); comparatively few Left or Center-rated outlets have published on the event.
  • Coverage is currently concentrated among outlets based in US/Canada (3 of 3 geographically-identified sources).
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. The FBI, created in 1908 within the U.S. Department of Justice, investigates potential violations of federal law; New York State Police and other state agencies investigate matters within state jurisdiction.
    Background · from our historical context
  2. Schaffer had held the chairmanship since 2000, making his control of the county organization a long-running feature of Suffolk Democratic politics.
    Background · from our historical context
  3. Andrew Cuomo's resignation took effect, and Kathy Hochul became New York governor.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  4. Kathy Hochul was elected to a full term as New York governor.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  5. In September 2026, Rich Schaffer was reelected Suffolk County Democratic Party chairman after party members accused him of threatening members and offering money to some in exchange for their votes.
    Background · from our historical context
  6. The allegations surrounding the September 2026 contest therefore concerned the conduct of a party leadership vote, not a vote for a government position.
    Background · from our historical context
  7. A Siena poll put Kathy Hochul at 50% and Bruce Blakeman at 41% among likely voters.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3
  8. Kathy Hochul said during a debate with Bruce Blakeman that she would not raise New York’s state income taxes.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3

How we got here

In September 2026, Rich Schaffer was reelected Suffolk County Democratic Party chairman after party members accused him of threatening members and offering money to some in exchange for their votes. Schaffer had held the chairmanship since 2000, making his control of the county organization a long-running feature of Suffolk Democratic politics.

His earlier public office included serving as Babylon town supervisor from 2001 to 2019. Article 2 governs party organization, and §2-112 provides for county committees made up of party members elected from local districts. The allegations surrounding the September 2026 contest therefore concerned the conduct of a party leadership vote, not a vote for a government position.

Original sources

3 articles from 3 outlets · US/Canada · Show all

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