POLITICS: Former Bush Adviser Arrested for Theft

Claude Allen, former second in command at the Department of Health and Human Services, was named domestic policy adviser at the White House in 2005. He abruptly resigned February 9, reportedly to be close to his family. Now he has been arrested for theft, and released on his own recognizance



There are several confusing points to this story. Apparently, this situation came to light on Jan. 2 of this year, and the resignation was effective Feb. 9. Mr. Allen claims it is all a misunderstanding involving his credit card and the fact that he has moved several times recently. Target claims to have video proof of the incident(s) in question but has refused to provide it to Allen's lawyer.

What is going on here? Is it a witch hunt, or has a real crime been committed? Time, and the investigation results, will tell. The news coming out now does nothing to help a beleaguered Whitehouse.

[edit on 11-3-2006 by Icarus Rising]

I don't think it's a witch hunt. It's too soon to tell just what the situation is. Sometimes there are administrative errors made regarding such transactions and sometimes people do really stupid, self-defeating things. Sometimes, people have a mental condition that causes them to steal for no reason or benefit. Until he is there is a legal resolution, no one will know. Personally, I think whatever the case is, it's just an embarrassment politically and signifies little else.

Maybe the former Bush adviser was in need of money and desperate so it went for the what it found to be the easiest way to get money at least for him.

BTW I hate refunds and now a days you don't even get money back, but has to change for something of the same value.

And when you get them in the mail they take for ever.

Before some one asks "Where's the conspiracy here?", let's remind everyone of who this guys is.

This is the guy who very recently left a position as the Number Two Head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; the federal agency which controls, amoung other things, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Food and Drug Agency (FDA), and the national Medicare program.

He left (or was he "encouraged" to leave) the DHHS to serve as a (not THE) "domestic policy advisor" in the Bush White House (Hmmmmm, 'Keep your Friends close, but Keep your Enemies Closer', perhaps?).

And now he is accused of theft in the amount of aproximately $5000 by Target Stores!? (Whose board of directors includes officers from Xerox and Coca-Cola; hardly GOP antigonists, I'm sure.). This, is after he abruptly resigns from his new White House position, citing as his reason for departure"Wanting to spend more time with his family".

Now that the paranoia-tron is fully warmed and ready, lets see what we can produce:


Petro-dollar to Petro-Euro shift possibility pending.

Conflict in Iran threatening world's oil supply.

US economic instablity.

US healthcare system on brink of collapse.

Avian flu spreading globally.

Possibility of world-wide pandemic now a "probability"; not "if" but "when" and likely sooner than later.

US Medicare revisions mis-represented and failing to perform as needed to prevent collapse of Medicare program; leaving the poorest and neediest of the the Nation's sick without medical care.


Shutting some one up by charging him with a relatively minor and difficult to disprove crime (since Target Stores refuses to provide the video tape on which it bases its accusations, even to the man's defense attorney!) is also a good way to keep the panic, and the difficult questions, at bay.

"I want to spend more time with my family....before the End comes and we all die." sounds like a good reason to resign your position to me.

If the video tape is going to be used in a court of law the defense retains the right of discovery and the tape must be made available to them. That is true of all evidence.

there are plenty of cases of the wealthy and the powerful shoplifiting and acting like petty crooks...remember winona rider? you don't need a conspirecy for people to act stupid and corrupt. considering the unpunished crimes of this administration is it any wonder one of them would act as if they were above the law. After all cheney shot a man...if it had been you or I we would have at least been booked and arrigned.

Well this story proves one thing which many lefties may dispute: that a lot of the Bush staff are not on the take somewhere else. I mean if this guy had to do this stuff to 'pump up' his income then he ain't raking it in behind the scenes is he?

It is hard for me to believe Mr. Allen could have been hurting for money to the point that was his motive for doing this, if it is indeed theft as alleged. He could suffer from some sort of shopping/return for credit compulsion, or have some type of very expensive habit he had to steal to support. Another possibility is he was set up to take the fall in an effort to discredit him and whatever he may have been getting ready to say about his work for this administration. The possibliities are endless, and keep on getting more remote from there. We may never know the real truth, which is all too likely, given this governments penchant for secrecy.

Originally posted by grover
considering the unpunished crimes of this administration is it any wonder one of them would act as if they were above the law.

Yes, he must be a great disappointment to them, eh? Right....

I guess the game goes something like this: a person takes something off the shelf, and then goes to Customer Service to claim a cash refund. The excuse is, they lost their receipt. Or else, they want a credit applied to their credit card, which they can then use to get cash advances or more merchandise.

The guy is most likely suffering from some mental defect. I mean, $5,000? In for a penny, in for a pound - if he's gonna steal, why not make it worth his while?

Then again, maybe he's just suffering from Buyers Remorse, and is in fact innocent.

[edit on 11-3-2006 by jsobecky]

Hrm.. this is kind of odd. Clearly a man with "Former Presidential Advisor" on his resume isn't going to make-or-break his bank account through retail theft. It's possible he was doing it for the "thrill" though, as others have said already. In fairness though, credit card companies, like most companies that deal with large masses of people, are not always on the ball when it comes to people who have moved around a lot.

[edit on 11-3-2006 by koji_K]

Seems like maybe the guy bought some stuff on the government tab and returned it after leaving office?

Maybe he's a klepto.

I guess we'll know more when things resolve, but it strikes me as a little odd. Maybe he had a falling out with the administration and this is their way of giving him something to remember them by.

Who knows? Time will tell.

Claude Allen confesses to fraud.




[edit on 2006/3/14 by GradyPhilpott]

Not to split hairs, but that is the store investigator's allegation of what Mr. Allen told him. I'm sure the investigator would want something like that in the report, as it demonstrates intent.

At any rate, Mr. Allen has a felony case against him going to trial in April that could land him in prison for 15 years or more.

Small potatoes.

Rumsfield already tapped Tamiflu for $5 million - and who knows what Cheney pulled out of Halliburton.

Is there a list somewhere showing what all these guys are up to?