The sensational elements of the arrest of blackmail suspect Adam Savader, a 21-year-old Republican campaign staffer and Great Neck native, drew attention from national political media last week, from the lurid details of Savader’s alleged efforts to extort nude pictures from 15 women to photographs of him in an elephant suit while playing Newt Gingrich’s presidential campaign mascot.

But the details of Savader’s abbreviated enrollments at several educational institutions over the last several years paint a quieter picture of a young man who, according to a close college acquaintance, was fixated on politics to the point of alienating fellow Republican activists at George Washington University. 

“I would describe him as a very eager kid who definitely wanted to kind of impress, I would say, with his knowledge and connection to political figures,” said Jake Wolf, who served as chairman of the George Washington University Republican Club when Savader joined the group following his transfer to the school in the fall of 2010. “Some people put politics as the pinnacle of society, the highest you can strive to be, and he was certainly one of those people. Politics came before everything.”

FBI agents arrested Savader at his family’s Great Neck Gardens home April 23 on allegations that he sent anonymous text messages to 15 women, threatening to release nude pictures of the women unless they sent him additional naked photographs. Victims resided in Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Long Island, according to an FBI press release.

Savader’s internet presence shows a man claiming a share of the social media spotlight afforded to young, driven political activists. More than 17,000 people follow his Twitter account, where he identifies himself as a former intern for the 2012 vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan and the presidential campaign of Newt Gingrich. And his public Facebook page shows photographs of Savader posing with Republican luminaries including Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, Ryan and Gingrich.

Before the internship and the allegations, Savader was a student at Great Neck North High School, from which he graduated early after his junior year to attend Bard College in Upstate New York.

Principal Bernard Kaplan said that Savader was a bright kid who did his school work, but cast doubt on his satisfaction with his high school experience, saying Savader was not a member of school clubs and organizations.

“He didn’t cause trouble or anything, but he wasn’t really connected to the high school,” Kaplan said. ““How happy could he be? I wouldn’t say he was unhappy, but he wanted to move on.”

Savader’s stay at Bard was a brief one. By fall semester 2010, he had transferred to George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

The university’s current Republican Club chairman, Alexander Miller, sent Blank Slate Media a statement condemning the allegations and distancing the club from Savader.

“Mr. Savader is not a current member of the G.W. College Republicans. During his time at the university, Mr. Savader was a member of the organization, however his involvement was minimal,” wrote Miller. “He was mostly involved in affairs external to the organization and university. We are very disappointed in Mr. Savader’s alleged actions. Mr. Savader and his alleged actions in no way reflect the attitudes or positions of the G.W. College Republicans organization, membership, or affiliates. It is disappointing to see a former G.W.U. student involved in such disturbing charges, and we trust the authorities will bring complete justice to the situation.”

But Miller did not run the club when Savader first joined, and Wolf, whose chairmanship coincided with Savader’s transfer to the university, portrayed the Great Neck native as heavily involved with club activities.

“When I was chairman he was definitely very involved,” Wolf said. 

According to Wolf, Savader participated in nearly every campaign trip organized by the club during the 2010-2011 school year.

Wolf described Savader as somewhat socially awkward and very vocal about his political views, to the point of abrasiveness. Savader was often unwilling to form relationships with members of opposing political parties, Wolf said.

“He was very talkative, to the point of sometimes talking at socially inappropriate times,” he said. ““I never had openly negative interactions with him. He was totally cordial with me.”

And, according to Wolf, he was not aware of any hostility or incidents between Savader and women, though Wolf stressed that he did not interact much with Savader outside of Republican club functions.

Savader left George Washington University prior to the 2012 elections, during which he interned with the Gingrich campaign and, later the Romney-Ryan campaign. He is currently a political science student at SUNY Farmingdale, and the school has suspended him, according to Newsday.

Savader’s family did not respond to requests for comment, but Savader’s attorney Michael Shosnick told the New York Daily News “I’ve known Adam his entire life and he has never behaved in a way that would lead me to believe these allegations are true.”

Savader was denied bail by a federal judge April 26 and was ordered to be transferred to custody in Michigan, where the victim who first reported the alleged extortion attends college. That first victim was a former classmate of Savader’s at Great Neck North, according to a federal criminal complaint.

If convicted of the internet extortion and cyber stalking charged filed against him, Savader could face up to five years in prison.