Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 4:45 am Posts: 1836 Location: Up Yer Maw
Don't they do this in Garden State with a knife set?
Bush adviser charged with thefts
US President George W Bush's former political adviser has been charged with stealing more than $5,000 (£2,900) from department stores.
The president said he was "shocked" and "sad" on hearing the news about Claude Allen, who resigned abruptly as his domestic policy adviser last month.
Mr Allen, 45, has denied at least 25 thefts from Target and Hecht's stores.
The scam allegedly involved Mr Allen claiming refunds for merchandise that he did not buy.
Mr Allen was arrested on Thursday by police in Montgomery County, Maryland, following an investigation into an alleged incident at the Target store in Gaithersburg, Maryland on 2 January.
Appeals court nominee
A Target employee said he saw Mr Allen put items in an empty Target bag, which he then took to the refund desk with a receipt, and claimed money back, Reuters said, citing a police statement.
He was credited more than $5,000 to his credit card through similar transactions at other shops, police said.
Mr Allen reported the 2 January incident to White House staff the next day, saying it was a misunderstanding related to his credit cards, a White House spokesman said.
"He assured them that he had done nothing wrong and the matter would be cleared up," the spokesman said.
Mr Allen, a lawyer born in Philadelphia, was promoted to White House domestic policy adviser in early 2005, having been the No 2 official at the health and human services department.
Mr Bush had nominated him in 2003 for a seat on the Fourth US Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia, but withdrew him because of political opposition.
'Misunderstanding'
"When I heard the story last night, I was shocked, and my first reaction was one of disappointment, deep disappointment - if it's true - that we were not fully informed," Mr Bush said on Saturday.
"Shortly thereafter, I felt really sad for the Allen family."
"If the allegations are true, something went wrong in Claude Allen's life, and that is really sad."
Mr Allen resigned suddenly on 9 February, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.
Mallon Snyder, a lawyer for Mr Allen, called the arrest and charges "a misunderstanding", and said he wanted to meet Target investigators to clear things up.
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:52 pm Posts: 1727 Location: Earth Gender: Male
Quote:
Misunderstanding
I highly doubt it after reading what this guy was doing, over and over again.
_________________ "The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum." -Noam Chomsky
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2005 5:23 am Posts: 1194 Location: Sleeping under my desk
The Bush Administration: Restoring honor and integrity to the White House since 2001
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Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
Man, what a stupid crime to get nailed for.
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