Claude A Allen

March 11, 2006 12:22 PM

Former White House Aide Arrested on Theft Charges:Claude Alexander Allen was Bush's Assistant for Domestic Policy until he announced his resignation last month, reportedly because he wanted to spend more time with his family. Previously, he had been a controversial Bush nominee to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and Allen was also once the subject of controversy for a homosexual slur he had made while working for Sen Jesse Helms. Now, a few weeks after his resignation, he's been arrested for a retail theft scheme that allegedly netted him more than $5000, still small change for a man that was being paid the same six-figure salary as Karl Rove. Bush has said he is shocked and saddened by the arrest of his former aide (via Think Progress).
posted by bcveen (67 comments total)

Have to admit, I posted this more for the weirdness factor than as yet another reason to believe the current administration is full of crooks. Why would he, if this is true, risk his career for less than two weeks salary?
posted by bcveen at 12:25 PM on March 11, 2006

Maybe he was doing it for the American people.
posted by The Jesse Helms at 12:27 PM on March 11, 2006

Maybe he was taking Ambien and was sleep stealing.
posted by Mr_Zero at 12:27 PM on March 11, 2006

psychopaths! The thrill of ripping someone off and getting away with it. :)
posted by anthill at 12:28 PM on March 11, 2006

All I know, the hell if I'm going to pay 2.50 for shampoo when I can get it for free. Damn you Target.

...
posted by Atreides at 12:29 PM on March 11, 2006

"Why would he, if this is true, risk his career for less than two weeks salary?"

After working in the Bush White House he considered lying, cheating, and stealing to be normal behavior?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 12:37 PM on March 11, 2006

Myth: Only poor people shoplift.

Anyways, the WaPo has been all over this--most politicians manage to flame out much more spectacularly, what with the legacies of so many greats like Roy Cohn, Marion Barry, Duke Cunningham, Jack Abramoff, Tom Delay, the "beam me down Scottie" guy, etc.

As a taxpayer, I for one am totally underwhelmed by this. Bad form Claude Allen (but may you rot in hell you bigoted failure).

Next news item: Bush never knew or met the guy, nor did any other Republican, even the ones who worked with him. Get to work on doctoring those photos and videos right away.
posted by bardic at 12:38 PM on March 11, 2006

Stench of death: resigning to "spend more time with family".
But where's the corpse?
Ah, here it is...
posted by the sobsister at 12:43 PM on March 11, 2006

I'm glad to find out our President is such a wonderful judge of character.
posted by EarBucket at 12:43 PM on March 11, 2006

EarBucket, he looked in the guy's heart. Or was it his eyes? Bush has X-ray moral vision, dontcha know.
posted by bardic at 12:44 PM on March 11, 2006

"When I heard the story last night I was shocked and my first reaction was one of disappointment, deep disappointment, that, if it's true, that we were not fully informed," Bush added.

Bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit.

Bullshit.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 12:49 PM on March 11, 2006

I still suspect that the liberal media has something to do with this
posted by matteo at 12:51 PM on March 11, 2006

$5000 in theft? What about the human trafficking charge he should face according to the NYT article writers John Files and Robert Pear. The man traded his wife and some cash for a house!

County records show that Mr. Allen bought his home in October 2005 for $958,300, along with his wife, Jannese.
posted by nonmyopicdave at 12:52 PM on March 11, 2006

Well, at least he didn't drunkenly shoot some guy in the face.
posted by Astro Zombie at 1:11 PM on March 11, 2006

Myth: Only poor people shoplift.

After his death the mistress of a senior fortune 100 executive told me he liked to show off his shoplifting skills, including an espresso maker.
posted by StickyCarpet at 1:13 PM on March 11, 2006

"When I heard the story last night I was shocked and my first reaction was one of disappointment, deep disappointment, that, if it's true, that we were not fully informed," Bush added.

That bastard! All this time Bush and Cheney are paying full price for their shampoo and household needs while Allen holds out on this sweet little sideline!
posted by fshgrl at 1:15 PM on March 11, 2006

"I want to spend more time with my family" = "I have been caught/fired"
posted by Cranberry at 1:15 PM on March 11, 2006

No, he really did want to spend more time with his family.

After all, he knew he'd be in the pen soon...
posted by pitchblende at 1:18 PM on March 11, 2006

"I want to spend more time with my family" = "I have been caught/fired"

Wasn't this what Ashcroft said when he resigned?
posted by EarBucket at 1:18 PM on March 11, 2006

... another in a long series of heck-of-a-job guys.

Wapo says he sat beside Laura at the SOTU speech - be nice to find that pic but in a month, they've probably scrubbed most pics.
posted by madamjujujive at 1:22 PM on March 11, 2006

It's worth mentioning that if it wasn't for the filibuster, this guy would be a Federal judge right now.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 1:25 PM on March 11, 2006

pitchblende, you have a point. > 5K = felony.
posted by bardic at 1:25 PM on March 11, 2006

Anyone want to buy a Free Alexander tshirt?
posted by thefreek at 1:26 PM on March 11, 2006

He probably did it cos he's black
posted by snoktruix at 1:57 PM on March 11, 2006

February 14 2006, Washington Times had this story:

"The Air Force yesterday released revised guidelines on religious observance that say chaplains need not recite prayers incompatible with their beliefs, but that also encourage "non-denominational" or "inclusive" prayer in public situations.

The move won tepid praise from evangelicals, who see the move as progress but not close to a guarantee that they can pray "in Jesus' name."
Meanwhile, White House domestic policy adviser Claude Allen, a key aide who had sided with evangelicals on the issue, resigned abruptly Wednesday after five years with the Bush administration. His short letter to the president called it "the best decision for my family."
In a Jan. 22 conversation with Rep. Walter B. Jones reported in The Washington Times, Mr. Allen promised the North Carolina Republican that President Bush would pressure Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld into allowing military chaplains to be more explicit about their faith.
According to a military source, Mr. Allen resigned to protest the White House's refusal to lean on the Pentagon about the issue."

See also here.

So, Claude Allen resigned because of the shoplifting investigation, and some anonymous source to the Washington Times said Allen resigned in the name of Jesus. Now, that's spin.
posted by iviken at 2:10 PM on March 11, 2006

Get to work on doctoring those photos and videos right away.

During CNN's coverage of this story today they showed footage of Allen chatting and walking alongside Bush on their way to the helicopter on the South Lawn.
posted by ericb at 2:18 PM on March 11, 2006

"When I heard the story last night I was shocked and my first reaction was one of disappointment, deep disappointment, that, if it's true, that we were not fully informed," Bush added.

Here we go again, with the old favorite "faulty intelligence" lie!
posted by fandango_matt at 2:30 PM on March 11, 2006

Next news item: Bush never knew or met the guy, nor did any other Republican, even the ones who worked with him.

JPod's on the case.

Why would he, if this is true, risk his career for less than two weeks salary?

Many people steal out of habit or as a form of thrill-seeking -- the sense that they're getting away with it is exhilirating.

Oddly, this explains much of the administration's behavior.
posted by dhartung at 3:04 PM on March 11, 2006

Many people steal out of habit or as a form of thrill-seeking...

Exhibit A: Winona Ryder.
posted by ericb at 4:02 PM on March 11, 2006

Oddly, this explains much of the administration's behavior.

Generally speaking that's the sensation anybody with some power has..of being able to getting away with rules.

I wouldn't mind one person stealing a candy a year, so to say. It becomes a problem when a candy a year becomes a candy a day and so on , up to delusions of omnipotence reinforced and rewarded by the fact nobody caught them with the hands in the cookies.

The problem is astronomical when the cookie jar is a State :( or a private company ( see wages of many CEOs and alikes)
posted by elpapacito at 4:38 PM on March 11, 2006

It's just disgraceful that the democrats blocked this fine man of God from being appointed to the court.
posted by 2sheets at 4:51 PM on March 11, 2006

I think we need to reconsider the use of profiling in catching white collar criminals. Clearly white republican males are a high risk group and require special attention.
posted by Artw at 5:14 PM on March 11, 2006

Artw rises to the rank of hero!
posted by stirfry at 5:19 PM on March 11, 2006

I think we need to reconsider the use of profiling in catching white collar criminals. Clearly white republican males are a high risk group and require special attention.

Except for that this dude was black.
posted by delmoi at 5:35 PM on March 11, 2006

posted by delmoi at 5:36 PM on March 11, 2006

what Wonkette said when he first resigned: He’s a morality-issues Christian-right Republican. So he’s probably a drug-addicted gambling gay adulterer with illegitimate children.

WaPo in 2003: ... "Sometimes we see individuals who are willing to alter their views to get ahead. I don't think Claude has ever been someone to alter what he believes. He follows his conservative values."
Exactly. This is what conservative means nowadays--from Helms to DeLay to Bennett to Abramoff to Santorum to Cunningham to Gannon/Guckert to Rove and Libby to Allen.
posted by amberglow at 5:38 PM on March 11, 2006

Oddly, this explains much of the administration's behavior.

It's certainly as pointless and stupid as much of this administration's behavior. He didn't just steal stuff (which might have worked): "He would buy items, take them out to his car and return to the store with the receipt," the police said in the statement. "He would select the same items he had just purchased and then return them for a refund."

Sooner or later somebody had to (and did) notice that the same guy, using his real name, was returning thousands of dollars of merchandise.

And being a well-off criminal, instead of poor, he'll probably do some hard time at church camp.
posted by LeLiLo at 5:55 PM on March 11, 2006

So WalMart doesn't bother to check, when someone tries to return something, whether its anti-theft tag is still turned on?

(Because it should have been turned off when the person purchasing it paid for it, right?)

Where's this RFID they're supposedly so big about?
posted by hank at 6:38 PM on March 11, 2006

Thank God Bush has brought dignity back to the Oval Office.
posted by brundlefly at 6:58 PM on March 11, 2006

Bush Sends Staff Back to Ethics Class

Allen wasn't paying attention!
posted by ericb at 7:07 PM on March 11, 2006

posted by ericb at 7:11 PM on March 11, 2006

yet another reason not to from the "just trust me" administration...The real crime is that they are filling the federal benches with petit criminals like this. Our children and grandchildren will suffer greatly from the effects of relaxed environmental standards that will come from placing conscienceless sycophants in positions where they can give conscienceless corporations free reign.
posted by any major dude at 7:14 PM on March 11, 2006

the Family Resource Council loves him too: ...
"Claude Allen is a strong advocate for family values and will undoubtedly provide the President trustworthy counsel on key domestic issues. Mr. Allen's appointment is a hopeful sign that President Bush is committed to a pro-family agenda for his second term. While we would have liked to have seen Mr. Allen confirmed as a federal judge, his new post within the White House suggests that the 'values voter' will have a strong voice within the administration on policy decisions affecting the family. ...
posted by amberglow at 7:22 PM on March 11, 2006

lol! Our Friend Claude Allen
posted by amberglow at 7:24 PM on March 11, 2006

He'll get off.
posted by ColdChef at 8:40 PM on March 11, 2006

From the article linked above: 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.
posted by ColdChef at 8:43 PM on March 11, 2006

Lawyer calls arrest of former Bush aide 'misunderstanding'
posted by ColdChef at 8:49 PM on March 11, 2006

Why can't more politicians spend time with their families? The world would be a better place, nay?
posted by zekinskia at 9:34 PM on March 11, 2006

posted by ericb at 10:26 PM on March 11, 2006

Arrest of Ex-Bush Aide Shocks Associates

"Claude A. Allen has said his mother warned him that as a black man he risked ruining his life, or at least his career, by becoming a Republican. As it turned out, nothing could have been farther from the truth....[more]"

posted by ericb at 10:27 PM on March 11, 2006

He would have had it made - I hear you can hide anything under those robes. He just couldn't take the wait ( No thanks to troublemakin' Demo-rats ).
posted by arialblack at 11:29 PM on March 11, 2006

...It's reported that Harvey commented that if there is any way for George Bush to blame any problem or controversy on an African-American to divert attention from himself, he always does so. The truth of that observation can be seen in today's news that Bush says he is "shocked and disappointed" that a high-ranking African-American domestic policy adviser, Claude Allen, on his staff was arrested for theft yesterday. When I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was indicted, Bush warned people that Libby was presumed innocent until proven guilty. When commenting on Delay, a flat denial was in order. Apparently with the black adviser Allen, the presumption is that he is guilty. ...
posted by amberglow at 3:41 AM on March 12, 2006

Could we have a new policy on Mefi? Such that we only report Bush admin goings on when they don't involve some kind of larceny? Would really cut down on the newsfiltery stuff.


I keed, I keed
posted by telstar at 4:48 AM on March 12, 2006

is there anything they do at all that doesn't involve some kind of crime?
posted by amberglow at 5:01 AM on March 12, 2006

What gets me is the arrogance. He had the shit charged back to his credit card? Meaning ultimately, completely traceable. Clearly, he felt above/immune to the law. As Bugs used to say, What a Maroon!
posted by telstar at 5:19 AM on March 12, 2006

What gets me is the arrogance.

Why?

People who have money or connections have always been treated different than people without. If he's been connected for years to pollitical people, odds are rather good he's seen all kinds of minor (or major) crimes where people have not been charged due to the connections.

I would bet that Mr. Allen (or family) had done some minor crime, got caught, and after letting it be known the level of his political connections, walked even before there were charges pressed. After doing it a few times, he felt he could get away with whatever minor crime he wanted. After all, it was JUST consumer-level fraud.


(My uncle used to be on the town board and one day he and the town manager were out drinking. The local cops pulled over the car the town manager was driving - stinking drunk. The cop asked if my uncle was sober enough to drive, and thus the town manager and a town board memeber got away with drunk driving, so don't tell me it doesn't happen)
posted by rough ashlar at 6:12 AM on March 12, 2006

rough, unfortunately--and unlike DeLay and Libby and Rove and all the others--Allen was just the hired help, and what he thought was his club wasn't at all, when push came to shove. He wasn't important enough to be protected or for it to be "taken care of", as so many things are nowadays among the powerful and wealthy.
posted by amberglow at 2:00 PM on March 12, 2006

and what he thought was his club wasn't at all

This is what makes the case 'interesting' - because *IF* what we think is the reality of the situation, will Mr. Allen come out with some form of tell-all book/"sing" about HOW he arrived at his situation, or will he just decide to be quiet and take his lumps and HOPE no one will care of his past in 5 years so he can go back to his $100k+ salaries?
posted by rough ashlar at 4:08 AM on March 13, 2006

he was making what Rove makes--160k i hear--the very top salary for that high level of staffer.

they all go to work for some rightwing foundation or another--Libby is "working" at one as i type this, for far more than he made working for Cheney. Bennett did too, after his gambling stuff came out. There's always a soft landing somewhere for them, and we'll see if there is one for Allen. That'll really show if he was in the club with the others.
posted by amberglow at 9:43 AM on March 13, 2006

That'll really show if he was in the club with the others.

He's out. A Target for 5k? pfft. an embarrassment - You gotta go big. Its the financial equivalent of that genocide joke.

Eddie Izzard:
We can’t even deal with that. I think, you know, we think if – if somebody kills someone, that’s murder, you go to prison.
You kill 10 people, you go to Texas, they hit you with a brick, that’s what they do.
Twenty people, you go to a hospital, they look through a small window at you forever. And over that, we can’t deal with it, you know? Someone’s killed 100,000 people. We’re almost going, “…Well done!
posted by ernie at 12:44 PM on March 13, 2006

Oh, it's okay, guys. It turns out Allen has an evil twin.
posted by EarBucket at 2:57 AM on March 14, 2006

how weird is that?

so, Scooter Libby must have one too, and DeLay, and all of them?
posted by amberglow at 1:02 PM on March 14, 2006

The White House knew there was trouble with Claude Allen; wasn't worried.
posted by ericb at 2:45 PM on March 14, 2006

from Gilliard: ... So I assume that Floyd Allen also works at the White House and drives the exact same car as his brother, with the exact same license place and shops in the exact same stores.
Uh, when the Montgomery County sheriffs checked him out, they ran his plates, found his home address and his employer and came up with Claude Allen, not Floyd.
...
For Allen to allow this shifting of blame onto his brother by his white friends is fucking revolting. Unless he was stupidly covering for his brother, this is a disgusting act of cowardice.
It goes to the heart of why black people distrust conversatives, the willingness to abandon family to remain in the favor of white people. I don't need to go into how deep a psychic wound that is in black America.
posted by amberglow at 4:27 PM on March 14, 2006

Ex-Bush aide admitted theft, documents say.
posted by ericb at 4:13 AM on March 15, 2006

It's all so obvious. Clearly, the evil Allen escaped through a dimensional portal from the Mirror White House. Maybe even now, the good Bush and good Cheney are trapped there, heroically trying to escape back to our universe and stop the evil impostors who have shaved off their goatees and taken control of our reality!
posted by EarBucket at 5:04 AM on March 15, 2006

Wapo says he sat beside Laura at the SOTU speech

Was he in the Chalabi seat? Mrs. Bush should be more careful about who she invites.
posted by kirkaracha at 9:42 AM on March 15, 2006