Ex White House Aide Denies Theft Charges - Newsweek Politics - MSNBC.com

Ex White House Aide Denies Theft Charges - Newsweek Politics - MSNBC.com: "By Holly Bailey and Pat Wingert
Newsweek

March 20, 2006 issue - You may not recognize Claude Allen's name, but you've probably seen his face in photos, a little off to the side, a few steps away from the president. As George W. Bush's top domestic-policy adviser, Allen stuck close to the boss. He was Bush's frequent companion on Air Force One, and helped stage-manage issues like Social Security and education. A born-again Christian (his wife home-schools their four kids) and credentialed conservative (he got his start as an aide to Sen. Jesse Helms), the 45-year-old lawyer was regarded as a man on his way up in Republican politics. Party leaders, always on the lookout for conservative black candidates, pegged Allen as a future congressman or senator.

So it was a bit of a mystery why Allen abruptly announced on Feb. 9 that he was resigning after just a year on the job. He cited the usual Washington cliche—that he wanted to spend more time with his family—but that only increased speculation that something was amiss. Some wondered if Allen had quit to protest new Pentagon rules that steered military chaplains away from invoking the name of Jesus.

As it turned out, it may not have been anything quite so lofty. Last Thursday, police in Montgomery County, Md., just outside Washington, arrested Allen and charged him with stealing more than $5,000 worth of merchandise from Target and Hecht's department stores over several months. According to police, Allen walked off with bags of items between October 2005 and Jan. 2, 2006, including a Bose home-theater system. Allen referred questions to his lawyer, Mallon Snyder, who says his client is innocent and that the whole thing is just a misunderstanding. 'He hadn't taken anything from the store,' Snyder says. 'We are denying the charges.'

That could be a tough sell to a jury. According to a source close to the investigation, who spoke anonymously because the case is ongoing, some of Allen's alleged thefts were captured by store surveillance cameras. In announcing the arrest, police said that Allen was no ordinary shoplifter, slipping an item here and there into his pocket. They say Allen entered the stores, picked out items and paid for them. He put the merchandise in his car, returned to the store with his receipt and the empty bag, and picked up the same items from the shelf. He then went to the return counter with the refilled bag, where he showed his receipt and asked for a refund."