• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!
  • Welcome to our archives. No new posts are allowed here.

Ex-White House aide arrested in alleged refund scam

KidRocks

DP Veteran
Joined
Aug 17, 2005
Messages
1,337
Reaction score
16
Location
right here
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Liberal
What in the world is going on at the White House, is it something in the water? This 'culture of corruption' thing is really sprouting legs isn't it?

President Bush had even nominated this guy to be a federal appeals court judge in 2003, but the Democrats blocked the move, thank God!

Hate to say it but the culture of corruption at the White House continuezzzzz.








WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A former adviser to President Bush was arrested this week in Maryland and charged with swindling two department stores out of more than $5,000 in a refund scam.

Montgomery County police said Claude Allen, 45, was arrested Thursday and charged with carrying out a felony theft scheme at Target and Hecht's stores. He was released on his own recognizance.

Conviction on the charges can result in a 15-year prison sentence.

Authorities accuse Allen of going to stores on more than 25 occasions and buying items, taking them to his car and then returning to the store with his receipt where he would carry out the alleged scam.

"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," a statement from Montgomery County police said.

The items ranged from a Bose theater system to a photo printer to clothing to small items valued at $2.50, police said.

Allen resigned without explanation in early February as Bush's top domestic political adviser. Allen had long been a darling among the conservative right -- and Bush had even nominated him to be a federal appeals court judge in 2003, but Democrats blocked the move.

In announcing Allen's resignation, Bush called him a "trusted adviser" who helped "develop policies that will strengthen our nation's families, schools and communities."

"Claude is a good and compassionate man, and he has my deep respect and my gratitude. I thank him for his many years of principled and dedicated service to our country," Bush said in a statement issued on February 9.

According to police, on January 2, a Target manager at a store in Gaithersburg observed Allen in the store with an empty Target bag in a shopping cart...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/11/claude.allen.arrest/index.html
 
And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
 
KidRocks, I was stunned when I saw the article on the front page of the Washington Post. When Rove was worried about being indicted, they kept showing footage of Bush coming off of Air Force One and walking with Rove and this former aid. Why the hell would he look to scam stores? My gut tells me something is wrong here in that he must have some sort of compulsion to do this kind of stuff. It makes no sense.

Oh, and in case KCConservative wants to know, when this guy resigned from the White House in February, he claimed it was to spend more time with his family. :lol:
 
Bush Advisor Arrested: Claude Allen

Claude Allen, Bush's former assistant for Domestic Policy was arrested in connection with a massive shoplifter and refund operation.

Allen is famous or infamous for his "abstinence only" crusades. (I'd love for him to share his abstinece story with the rest of us :roll:) He also had it in for some AIDS service organizations too. Typical.

Bush also nominated Allen name for a Federal Judgeship, but the Dems blocked it. Allen also served on the president's Katrina Task Force.

I guess you could call him a BORN-AGAIN THIEF

Claude Allen:
claude_allen_on_cspan_again_1.jpg


Ex-White House adviser facing shoplifting charges
Posted by Mark Silva at 9:45 am CST and updated 12:15 pm CST

When the news was first broken here at The Swamp that Claude Allen, the president's former domestic policy adviser, had submitted his resignation in early February, the White House said Allen wanted to spend more time with his family. (Hipster says:D Don't they always say that?)

It appears now that he may have been seeking more time with his defense attorney.

Claude Alexander Allen, 45, had been under investigation in Maryland since early January for an alleged scheme to defraud department stores of thousands of dollars in a refund scheme and was arrested on Thursday on charges of a felony theft scheme and theft over $500, according to Montgomery County police -- charges carrying possible sentences of up to 15 years.

President Bush today expressed shock :shock: over the arrest of Allen, who was the White House's highest ranking African-American staffer and had once been nominated for a federal judgeship.

"When I heard the story last night I was shocked,'' Bush said today, during a photo opportunity after a briefing by a task force working on the military's defense against improvised explosive devices. "And my first reaction was one of disappointment, deep disappointment that, if it's true , that we were not fully informed. But it was also one – shortly thereafter, I felt really sad for the Allen family.''

The White House also maintains that Allen had misled officials there about the seriousness of a problem he appears to have been having at the time of his resignation in early February.

"If the allegations are true, Claude Allen did not tell my chief of staff and legal counsel the truth, and that's deeply disappointing,'' the president said today. "If the allegations are true, something went wrong in Claude Allen's life, and that is really sad."

Under investigation since January for alleged thefts on two dozen occasions at Target and Hecht's department stores, Allen had told White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card and Counsel Harriet Miers that there was some confusion over his credit card, according to a White House spokesman. "He assured them that he had done nothing wrong and the matter would be cleared up,'' spokesman Scott McClellan said.

The White House announced the surprise resignation of Allen, who had served as a senior assistant to the president and domestic policy adviser since early 2005, on Feb. 9.

It was first reported in The Swamp, however, on Feb. 8 that Allen had submitted his resignation that day. At that time, McClellan said Allen had said he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Allen's alleged scheme involving about $5,000 of stolen goods had first been detected at a Target department store in his home town of Gaithersburg, Md. on Jan. 2, where the store reported observing Allen placing merchandise in a shopping bag and than taking it to customer service with a receipt for a refund.

Police say that Allen was given a citation that day but not arrested and that a subsequent investigation using store videotapes determined he had done this many times before – sometimes purchasing items, taking them outside and then returning with a receipt to receive a refund for a similar product taken off the shelf.

According to a report by the Montgomery County Police:

A Target loss prevention manager observed Allen on Jan. 2 selecting merchandise throughout the store on Grand Corner Avenue in Gaithersburg and placing it in a Target bag. He put additional items in his cart. Then he went to "guest services" and produced a receipt and recieved refunds for the items he had just taken from the shelves.

An investigation determined that Allen had been receiving refunds for more than $5,000 during the past year. Some of the fraudulent returns were made at Targets, some at Hecht's, a Washington area department store chain.

"He would buy items, taken them out to his car and return to the store with a receipt,'' the report states. "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,'' the report states.

The goods ranged from clothing to a Bose home theater system, stereo equipment and a photo printer, and in some cases goods worth as little as $2.50

Allen's attorney has told the Washington Post that Allen is denying any wrongdoing and called the alleged incident "a series of misunderstandings.''

The timing of Allen's resignation was curious – coming a day after Bush spoke at a memorial service for Coretta Scott King and at a time when Bush is attempting to improve relations with the black community.

That week, Allen had spoken out in support of the president’s proposed new budget, defending the 2007 spending plan with its cuts in health care and education and maintaining that America’s “safety net’’ is strong.

“The message that I want to leave with you today is that, as far as the administration's proposals are concerned, when we look at core safety net programs that impact low-income individuals, the state of the union is not only strong, but in this area the programs are effective and are working,’’ Allen said that week.

"When you talk about core safety net programs, you're talking about housing, you're talking about food, you're talking about health care, education, and you can even throw work in as a means of folks coming out of poverty and low-income,’’ he said. “The safety net is tight and strong, and I think those are some very important points to bear in mind.’’

Allen had served as assistant to the president for domestic policy, replacing the president’s good friend Margaret Spellings when she assumed a Cabinet post as Secretary of Education.

Allen had served as deputy secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, and as secretary of Health and Human Resources for the state of Virginia.

An attorney, he had been an associate in a powerful Washington law firm, Baker and Botts, from 1991 to 1995, and served on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Bush nominated Allen for a seat on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in 2003, but Democrats blocked his confirmation, citing his relative lack of legal experience.
http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_theswamp/2006/03/exwhite_house_a.html
 
Last edited:
Here's my post from the other thread:

Claude Allen, Bush's former assistant for Domestic Policy was arrested in connection with a massive shoplifter and refund operation.

Allen is famous or infamous for his "abstinence only" crusades. (I'd love for him to share his abstinece story with the rest of us) He also had it in for some AIDS service organizations too. Typical.

Bush also nominated Allen name for a Federal Judgeship, but the Dems blocked it. Allen also served on the president's Katrina Task Force.

I guess you could call him a BORN-AGAIN THIEF

Claude Allen:
claude_allen_on_cspan_again_1.jpg


Ex-White House adviser facing shoplifting charges
Posted by Mark Silva at 9:45 am CST and updated 12:15 pm CST

When the news was first broken here at The Swamp that Claude Allen, the president's former domestic policy adviser, had submitted his resignation in early February, the White House said Allen wanted to spend more time with his family. (Hipster says Don't they always say that?)

It appears now that he may have been seeking more time with his defense attorney.

Claude Alexander Allen, 45, had been under investigation in Maryland since early January for an alleged scheme to defraud department stores of thousands of dollars in a refund scheme and was arrested on Thursday on charges of a felony theft scheme and theft over $500, according to Montgomery County police -- charges carrying possible sentences of up to 15 years.

President Bush today expressed shock over the arrest of Allen, who was the White House's highest ranking African-American staffer and had once been nominated for a federal judgeship.

"When I heard the story last night I was shocked,'' Bush said today, during a photo opportunity after a briefing by a task force working on the military's defense against improvised explosive devices. "And my first reaction was one of disappointment, deep disappointment that, if it's true , that we were not fully informed. But it was also one – shortly thereafter, I felt really sad for the Allen family.''

The White House also maintains that Allen had misled officials there about the seriousness of a problem he appears to have been having at the time of his resignation in early February.

"If the allegations are true, Claude Allen did not tell my chief of staff and legal counsel the truth, and that's deeply disappointing,'' the president said today. "If the allegations are true, something went wrong in Claude Allen's life, and that is really sad."

Under investigation since January for alleged thefts on two dozen occasions at Target and Hecht's department stores, Allen had told White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card and Counsel Harriet Miers that there was some confusion over his credit card, according to a White House spokesman. "He assured them that he had done nothing wrong and the matter would be cleared up,'' spokesman Scott McClellan said.

The White House announced the surprise resignation of Allen, who had served as a senior assistant to the president and domestic policy adviser since early 2005, on Feb. 9.

It was first reported in The Swamp, however, on Feb. 8 that Allen had submitted his resignation that day. At that time, McClellan said Allen had said he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Allen's alleged scheme involving about $5,000 of stolen goods had first been detected at a Target department store in his home town of Gaithersburg, Md. on Jan. 2, where the store reported observing Allen placing merchandise in a shopping bag and than taking it to customer service with a receipt for a refund.

Police say that Allen was given a citation that day but not arrested and that a subsequent investigation using store videotapes determined he had done this many times before – sometimes purchasing items, taking them outside and then returning with a receipt to receive a refund for a similar product taken off the shelf.

According to a report by the Montgomery County Police:

A Target loss prevention manager observed Allen on Jan. 2 selecting merchandise throughout the store on Grand Corner Avenue in Gaithersburg and placing it in a Target bag. He put additional items in his cart. Then he went to "guest services" and produced a receipt and recieved refunds for the items he had just taken from the shelves.

An investigation determined that Allen had been receiving refunds for more than $5,000 during the past year. Some of the fraudulent returns were made at Targets, some at Hecht's, a Washington area department store chain.

"He would buy items, taken them out to his car and return to the store with a receipt,'' the report states. "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,'' the report states.

The goods ranged from clothing to a Bose home theater system, stereo equipment and a photo printer, and in some cases goods worth as little as $2.50

Allen's attorney has told the Washington Post that Allen is denying any wrongdoing and called the alleged incident "a series of misunderstandings.''

The timing of Allen's resignation was curious – coming a day after Bush spoke at a memorial service for Coretta Scott King and at a time when Bush is attempting to improve relations with the black community.

That week, Allen had spoken out in support of the president’s proposed new budget, defending the 2007 spending plan with its cuts in health care and education and maintaining that America’s “safety net’’ is strong.

“The message that I want to leave with you today is that, as far as the administration's proposals are concerned, when we look at core safety net programs that impact low-income individuals, the state of the union is not only strong, but in this area the programs are effective and are working,’’ Allen said that week.

"When you talk about core safety net programs, you're talking about housing, you're talking about food, you're talking about health care, education, and you can even throw work in as a means of folks coming out of poverty and low-income,’’ he said. “The safety net is tight and strong, and I think those are some very important points to bear in mind.’’

Allen had served as assistant to the president for domestic policy, replacing the president’s good friend Margaret Spellings when she assumed a Cabinet post as Secretary of Education.

Allen had served as deputy secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, and as secretary of Health and Human Resources for the state of Virginia.

An attorney, he had been an associate in a powerful Washington law firm, Baker and Botts, from 1991 to 1995, and served on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Bush nominated Allen for a seat on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in 2003, but Democrats blocked his confirmation, citing his relative lack of legal experience.

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/...e_house_a.html
 
meh So the man obviously has mental problems. We dont hold it against you(that much anyway).
 
/snip: Bush nominated Allen for a seat on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in 2003, but Democrats blocked his confirmation, citing his relative lack of legal experience.

Guess he'll get more practice in now....:roll:

I doubt he'll serve 15 years though. He'll plead it down, maybe get 'counselling', probation, community service, that sort of thing. He'll cry about his mental problems (real or not).
Is it just me or is Bush a really lousy judge of character?
 
I say send this guy up the river. He should be prosicuted to the fiull extent.
 
Billo_Really said:
And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
The all-knowing, all-powerful billo has gazed into his crystal ball and has spoken. And so it is. :roll:
 
And this is worthy of discussion because...................
 
Stinger said:
And this is worthy of discussion because...................


Slow news week.
 
This just in....Bush has hired Winona Rider to replace Claude Allen.
 
hipsterdufus said:
This just in....Bush has hired Winona Rider to replace Claude Allen.
He was gonna hire a Liberal, but Allen was a thief with a mental disorder...

He didn't want to downgrade...:cool:
 
cnredd said:
He was gonna hire a Liberal, but Allen was a thief with a mental disorder...

He didn't want to downgrade...:cool:

It's a pretty small pool if you're looking for a Righteous Black Homophobe Cleptomaniac to replace Allen.
 
hipsterdufus said:
It's a pretty small pool if you're looking for a Righteous Black Homophobe Cleptomaniac to replace Allen.
Just walk into the NAACP headquarters...That's Black Homophobe Cleptomaniac Central...
 
hipsterdufus said:
This just in....Bush has hired Winona Rider to replace Claude Allen.

LMAO! Priceless, hipster! Priceless.

And for those who are asking why this is newsworthy, give me a break. This was Bush's top domestic adviser, and his being arrested isn't newsworthy? I am sure if this was a democrat, you would be all over this story. The guy was nominated to serve on the Fourth Court of Appeals for Christ's sake. This is an embarrassment for the White House. Oh, no wonder you won't admit this is newsworthy.
 
cnredd said:
Just walk into the NAACP headquarters...That's Black Homophobe Cleptomaniac Central...

I'll pass that info on to the Philly headquarters for ya! ;)
 
Back
Top Bottom