01.05.05: “Claude Allen has been a valuable member of my Administration since 2001, helping to improve the health and welfare of all Americans. He is a dedicated public servant and a tireless advocate for those in need. I look forward to his continued service in this new role as my domestic policy advisor,” stated President Bush.”
Claude Allen, nominated by George Bush to US Circuit Court Judges (176) Department of Justice
C. Boyden Gray in National Review: “Claude Allen promises not to advance a political agenda from the federal bench he has been nominated to, but to be the type of judge who buttresses the foundation of American government by applying the rule of law however he finds it.”
Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Retail Theft Unit arrested a man yesterday for a continuing retail theft scheme.
Claude Alexander Allen, age 45, of the 7200 block of Cliff Pine Drive in Gaithersburg, was charged with theft scheme over $500 and theft over $500. He was released on his own recognizance.
On January 2, 2006, a Target store Loss Prevention Manger observed an unknown man enter the store located at 25 Grand Corner Avenue in Gaithersburg. He was observed in the store with an empty Target bag in a shopping cart. The man was then seen selecting merchandise throughout the store and placing items in the Target bag. He put additional items in his cart. The man then went to guest services where he produced a receipt and received a refund for the items he had just selected from the store shelves. After receiving the refund he left the store without paying for the additional merchandise in the shopping cart. He was apprehended by the store employee.
WBAL: “A former White House adviser and Bush administration nominee to the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has been arrested and charged with theft for receiving phony refunds at department stores. Montgomery County police arrested Claude Alexander Allen, 45, of Gaithersburg, on Thursday for allegedly returning more than $5,000 worth of merchandise he did not buy, 
according to county law enforcement officials and a federal law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the charges are state, not federal.”
>> Friday Night Surprise: White House Aide Caught Shoplifting
>> Former Bush Aide Charged in Felony Theft
>> Honor and Dignity in the White House. Especially Dignity
>> Hilarious Ignorance (The right all of a sudden starts to forget who Claude Allen is. Him and Jack Abramoff.)
>> AP: Former White House Adviser Arrested
So how many scandals is this for the Bush administration? I’ve just plain lost count.
My prediction: Within days, the White House will be denying they ever knew him, despite photographic evidence to the contrary.
I see he’s a homophobe. Seems like soon he’s going to have to confront gay sex in person. He won’t be able to turn his back on it anymore /snark
It doesn’t make him a bad person. Maybe he had a rough childhood. He is black, you know.
Right, Oliver?
Frank, why are you so full of b.s.? You ever see me excuse someone because of race or tough life. This guy, like most Republicans, is a crook.
You mean, like most people involved in politics, don’t you?
How many have left this administration under cover of “spend more time
with my family”? At the outset, a few come to mind.
No, I mean like Republicans Tom DeLay, Jack Abramoff, Duke Cunningham, David Safavian, he is a crook.
Shorter Mike: “Look over here”
For restitution, maybe they’ll have him forging passports and tutoring John Conyers’ kids.
It’s kind of pathetic, actually. The old saw about embezzlement and theft is that if you’re going to do it, you should steal either less than $100 (so you don’t get noticed) or more than $100,000 (so you can enjoy it before you get caught). Anything in between is just pointless.
–|PW|–
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Oliver for being the bearer of GOOD NEWS. You made my Day!!!!!! Maybe now Claude can get some meds and come black to reality.
That picture of Allen with Steele really demonstrates that Steele is out of touch with the typical Marylander.
Shorter Mike: Look over here
Factcheck - Ignoring reality.
“ONLY REPUBLICANS ARE BAD!! ONLY REPUBLICANS ARE BAD!! DEMOCRATS DONT COMMIT CRIMES!!!”
I’d like to know exactly how this is a “scandal.”
It just proves that black wingnuts are truly nutjobs on the brink of a mental meltdown. This black fool used to work for the same Senator Jesse Helms R-NC that is famous for saying :”Are civil rights only for Negroes? While women in Washington who have been raped and mugged on the streets in broad daylight have experienced the most revolting sort of violation of their civil rights. The hundreds of others who have had their purses snatched by Negro hoodlums may understandably insist that their right to walk the street unmolested was violated.”
-Helms in 1963.
It’s unfathomable that the former Domestic Policy Advisor to the President of the United States went out like a “ignant” A**punk. Maybe that’s why Bush doesn’t know up from down?
Maybe they weren’t paying him enough….. Two tier payscale don’t ya know……..
Uh, Mike, just in case you didn’t read the whole article the guy who forged the passport is now in prison. Here’s some more info from the article in the Detroit Free Press, January 4, 2006;
“Boyd was accused of devising a scheme from May 1999 through January 2001 to defraud sponsors and vendors who put on a May 1999 conference for black farmers in New Orleans. Authorities said Boyd, claiming to be president of the National Organization of Black Farmers, failed to pay vendors for their services.
When a vendor obtained a court judgment to collect, Boyd filed for bankruptcy and submitted a false document to the court to conceal his assets.
Although Boyd carried out the scheme while working for Conyers, there is no evidence that the congressman or his staff knew about the scheme, authorities said.”
Damn! I guess that means I can’t blame GW for Claude Allen’s larceny. Another evil ‘liberal’ plot to besmirch the office of the presidency foiled! Of course there’s no reason not to mention that Conyers never tried to appoint him to a Federal Judgeship! Our Prez, what a great judge of character.
I just figured out what this reminds me of. That Verizon commercial where the CEO talks about how his low cellphone rates let him “stick it to the man” … and his underling explains, “But, sir, you ARE the man.”
–|PW|–
First, I wish people would stop referring to this as a case of ’shoplifting.’ It isn’t. This isn’t a case where Allen impulsively slipped a candy bar or a CD into his pocket and left the store. Instead, Allen planned and implemented a scheme to steal from these stores; it involved a conscious decision to commit larceny–no different than burglary. And he did this over two dozen times.
Second, this is yet another instance where AWOL George demonstrates devotion to Dear Leader trumps qualifications or character. Let’s remember AWOL George tried to get him a Federal judgeship, he was deputy at HHS, and he became AWOL George’s domestic policy advisor.
Third, what did AWOL George know and when did he know it? Apparently, the local police contacted the WH on or shortly after Jan 2. Yet, when Allen resigned 9 Feb to ’spend more time with his family’–AWOL George praised him and made no mention of Allen’s criminal charges.
dude. it’s like totally bush’s fault. he is the mastermind of all in the world that is evil. even shoplifters.
Ann Coulter said, “There might be some bad republicans but there are no good democrats.”
Can anyone here repudiate that statement?
“So one president was responsible and the other not.”
Um, that’s not what I said. Lewinsky was a scandal in the same way that this is a scandal: someone in a position of trust and authority broke the law. Jay C. doesn’t seem to get that.
And Pedro, no one said the guy was guilty. Just being charged with a crime is a scandal.
MM: The issue isn’t AWOL George’s ability to control or not control all his minions. The issue is why so many of the folks he has appointed to high office have a marked tendency towards crime or morals/ethics lapses.
Of course in Allen, we get a two-fer. First, he’s a Repug–part of the AWOL George administration that swore they’d bring honor and dignity back to the WH. Second, he’s part and parcel of the religious right wing extremists that back this illegitimate administration; Allen is out there telling America its problems are because we’re not Christian enough–that we’re too tolerant of gays and the like—even as he’s standing in the return line at Target waiting to commit another crime.
“This guy, like most Republicans, is a crook.”
Ha. Such reasoned debate (on a high school debate team).
Oh well, sputter, sputter, that was the President lying about sex! Sputter, Sputter. This is just someone Bush nominated for a federal judgeship arrested for theft. It s totally different. Choke, gag.
So one president was responsible and the other not. Jesus, you’re an idiot..sputter.
“I d like to know exactly how this is a scandal. ”
Ya. I wondered the same thing about Lewinsky.
“Oh well, sputter, sputter, that was the President lying about sex! Sputter, Sputter. This is just someone Bush nominated for a federal judgeship arrested for theft. It’s totally different. Choke, gag.”
Again the democrats, ever the party of the Constitution, forget that we are innocent unil proven guilty…
Funny how the Constitution is used as a document of convenience by the leftists….well, not funny really, sad.
Hey wingnuts here’s a timeline. No cover up here eh?
“On January 2, 2006, a Target store Loss Prevention Manger observed an unknown man enter the store located at 25 Grand Corner Avenue in Gaithersburg. He was observed in the store with an empty Target bag in a shopping cart. The man was then seen selecting merchandise throughout the store and placing items in the Target bag. He put additional items in his cart. The man then went to guest services where he produced a receipt and received a refund for the items he had just selected from the store shelves.
After receiving the refund he left the store without paying for the additional merchandise in the shopping cart. He was apprehended by the store employee.
The Target Loss Prevention Manger contacted Montgomery County Police and through the police investigation it was learned that Allen had been receiving refunds in an amount exceeding $5,000 during last year. Some of the fraudulent returns were made at Target stores and some at Hecht¹s stores. He would buy items, take them out to his car, and return to the store with the receipt. He would select the same items he had just purchased, and then return them for a refund. Allen is known to have conducted approximately 25 of these types of refunds, having the money credited to his credit cards.”
___________________
“February 09, 2006
Senior Administration Official Resigns
Claude Allen, President Bush’s principal domestic policy advisor, has resigned. A White House spokesman told the Chicago Tribune that Allen wanted to spend more time with his family.
Republicans who know Allen are uncertain why he stepped down so suddenly. Late last week, he was in good spirits as he briefed allies and surrogates about the President’s State of the Union message. On Tuesday, he attended a conference in PA on the president’s faith based initiative.”
_______________________________
“Claude Allen, March 10, 2006:
Detectives from the Montgomery County Police Retail Theft Unit arrested a man yesterday for a continuing retail theft scheme. Claude Alexander Allen, age 45, of the 7200 block of Cliff Pine Drive in Gaithersburg, was charged with theft scheme over $500 and theft over $500. He was released on his own recognizance.”
______________________________________
At least the arrest happened after he resigned! Do you think he informed his superiors about his ‘troubles’ earlier? Or maybe the police informed them that a White House staffer with access to the POTUS was under investigation for Grand Theft? Considering the depth of analysis and followup they do in foreign policy and Homeland Security probably not. And If you believe that you’re pathetically unaware. This whole thing was stretched out for deniability. The issue is the level of judgement and vetting done by this ‘I’ve got a friend whose son needs a job’ administration. This guy was in charge of coordinating the Bush administration’s Katrina response for Christ’s sake.
_____________________________________
Aboard Air Force One August 31, 2005
En Route Andrews Air Force Base, MD 11:09 A.M. EDT
MR. McCLELLAN:
“You also had Homeland Security Advisor Fran Townsend, Claude Allen, who is overseeing the White House Task Force, Dan Bartlett, and other staff was on, as well, back in Washington. And then in the region, you had Mike Brown, Under Secretary Mike Brown, participating in the video conference.”
Yeah right, Bush has no responsibility for this guy. Never heard of him. Give it up guys you are delusional on this one. If ignorance is bliss you must be so happy right now!
Again the democrats, ever the party of the Constitution, forget that we are innocent unil proven guilty&
Sure…Allen just had some 25 separate difficulties returning merchandise.
Ummmhmmmm.
Hey, here’s a quote from the latest Washington Post story,
“As Bush’s top domestic policy aide, he frequently briefed the president and traveled with him on Air Force One, and he sat in first lady Laura Bush’s box during the president’s State of the Union address Jan. 31. Two days, later he traveled with the president to Minnesota, briefing reporters about Bush’s education and alternative energy proposals.”
I guess they could be making this stuff up. Hopefully this will sink the Sgt. Schultz ‘I know nothing’ defense you righties are trying to float. Judge a man by the company he keeps. A bunch of pigs at the trough and our grandkids are gonna foot the bill. Pathetic!
Clearly part of Bush’s vast right wing conspiracy… He wasn’t satisfied stealing all the poor people’s money to give to rich oil buddies, he needed to get down with common criminals and commit retail theft.
Anyway, it’s a good thing that former Clinton aides don’t do serious stuff like this, and stick to stealing and destroying documents related to national security prior to testifying before the 9/11 comission.
Again the democrats, ever the party of the Constitution, forget that we are innocent until proven guilty&
Abu Ghraib, Bagram, Guantanamo… self-admittedly outside-the-law facilities.
Funny frame, you didn’t think that “Just being charged with a crime is a scandal.” when wild Bill was impeached……
Like I said, leftists have no consistency, no philosophical center. Just whatever works at that particular moment…
This guy makes you feel good about all Bush appointees to the bench. Of course there are the Duggers of the world who don’t care so much whether the guy obeys laws, but whether he is a conservative enough. It’s also good to see drpedro is such a bleeding heart. The guy’s Target problems are all just a misunderstanding.
By the way Pedro, did you not see the post in this thread where I wrote:
“Lewinsky was a scandal in the same way that this is a scandal: someone in a position of trust and authority broke the law.”
I guess that means I didn’t think it was a scandal. Idiot.
Bush Shocked, Just Shocked, by Arrest of Former Adviser
Nobody is more shocked and outraged by the arrest of Claude Allen that the president himself. Allen, for those who do not know, was arrested after receiving refunds for more than $5,000 worth of merchandise he did not buy.
President Bush was just outr…
“Like I said, leftists have no consistency, no philosophical center.”
This from the man who thinks were in Iraq to both liberate the Iraqi people while using them as living decoys to draw out all the world’s terrorists so we can fight them there (where innocent lives are worth less) rather than here.
Is “charged with a crime” now the Republican euphemism for “being caught red handed?”
I’ll see your Sandy Berger and a blow job and raise you Claude Allen, Scooter Libby, Shooter Cheney, Brownie, Dubai Ports World, Jack Abramof, David Safavian, outing a CIA asset and endangering the lives of her contacts overseas, Bernie “All Mobbed Up” Kerik, Duke Cunningham, no WMDs, letting India keep its atomic weapons and rewarding them with more nuclear technology thereby dumping the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, biggest deficit ever before counting the cost of our fabulous Irag adventure, etc., etc., etc. You need to go back to Google and get a longer list of Democratic equivalents if you want anyone to take you seriously. And think about this brainiacs, after these morons piss folks like Venezuela and Iran off enough that they won’t sell us oil anymore who are you gonna blame that on? Harry Reid? Bernie Sanders? Hollywood? Pathetic sycophantic losers.
Journalists should have been tipped off when Bush changed his pet name for Allen to ‘Five-finger’ in January.
Now it comes out that Claude Allen has an evil twin, Floyd.