Another Felon on Bush's Watch

It keeps getting better and better:

Claude A. Allen, who resigned last month as deputy secretary in the Department of Health and Human Services, was nominated in 2003 to a federal appeals court seat. He was appointed the president's top domestic policy adviser last year at the start of Bush's second term. That made him the highest-ranking African American on the White House staff.

Working out of a small office on the second floor of the West Wing, Allen shaped administration policy on such issues as health care, space exploration, housing and education.

But according to the Washington Post (March 11, 2006),

Allen, was arrested this week in Montgomery County for allegedly swindling Target and Hecht's stores out of more than $5,000 in a refund scheme, police said.

This is what police said happened Jan. 2:

Employees at the Target store at 25 Grand Corner Ave. in Gaithersburg spotted Allen putting merchandise in a shopping bag. He then walked over to the guest services desk, produced a receipt and received a refund for the items. After getting the refund, Allen left the store without paying for additional merchandise in his shopping cart.

Investigators were able to document 25 fraudulent refunds for items including a Bose home theater system, stereo equipment, clothes, a photo printer and items worth as little as $2.50.

This is a common variation of shoplifting but given the repeated acts, which were done while working for Bush, make the shoplifting felonious. This type of activity is charged as second degree burglary in California.

Allen resigned in February but this activity was taking place while he worked in the White House. It's "unclear" exactly why he resigned.

"At the time of his resignation, Allen denied reports that he was leaving to protest military guidelines that required chaplains to perform only nondenominational services."

Of course, soon after his citation, according to the New York Times (March 11, 2006) he spoke to Andy Card and Harriet Miers.

"Within a few days of the incident, Mr. McClellan said, Mr. Allen told Mr. Card and Ms. Miers that he was thinking of leaving the White House to spend time with his family. But Mr. Allen decided to stay for a while because he was working on domestic initiatives for the State of the Union address, which Mr. Bush delivered on Jan. 31."

Funny thing, Bush wanted him on the 4th COA.

Democrats in Congress blocked his nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in 2003, citing his relative lack of legal experience. The court, based in Richmond, covers Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

What, being a practicing attorney for seven years isn't enough?

One more tidbit which is just priceless.

Allen worked for the Virginia state attorney general's office and as state health and human resources secretary. In that job, he earned a reputation as a staunch conservative; once he kept Medicaid funds from an impoverished rape victim who wanted an abortion.

Bingo! Conservative and anti-abortion. What other qualifications do you need to be a federal judge?