If, unlike my friend Cathy, you haven’t been involved with exposing abstinence education for the evil, judgmental, pregnancy- and STD-producing sham that it is, the name Claude Allen might not mean that much to you.
On the other hand, it should.
Claude, also hailed as the New Clarence Thomas, was until recently George Bush’s chief domestic policy advisor. Shortly after Democrats blocked Allen’s nomination for an appeals court judgeship, Bush appointed him to his staff. Bill Berkowitz summed Allen up nicely.
Careerwise, Claude Allen has come a long way from honing his political chops as the first African American aide to Jesse Helms, North Carolina’s long-time rabid right wing Senator. But he hasn’t moved very far from the politics or ideology of his former boss…Now, after nearly four years serving as Tommy Thompson’s Deputy Secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, Allen has been promoted…
In a recent piece for the LA Weekly, veteran journalist Doug Ireland described Allen as “a notorious homophobe, a ferocious enemy of abortion and an opponent of safe-sex education who for years has been one of the AIDS community’s principal enemies.” Allen is also an outspoken opponent of abortion, even in cases of rape or incest, and a champion of abstinence-only sex education programs.
When Allen announced his resignation last month — citing the old chestnut about spending more time with his family — speculation was far and wide but not even Wonkette could anticipate the ridiculous reality.
It’s possible Allen left on his own accord, but the abruptness makes it rather unlikely. We have no clue, actually, why the hell he’d be forced out, especially now, when one might think Bush would want to refocus on “morality” in preparation for a midterm election which has thus far looked pretty lousy for the party…
But hell. He’s a morality-issues Christian-right Republican. So he’s probably a drug-addicted gambling gay adulterer with illegitimate children. But if anyone has proof (or a different theory, or idle speculation), we’re dying to hear it.
Oh, so close! But truth is stranger than fiction, Wonkette.
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…
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…
“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….
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.
“The man was then seen selecting merchandise throughout the store and placing items in the Target bag…The man then went to guest services where he produced a receipt and received a refund for the items he had just selected from the store shelves. After receiving the refund, he left the store without paying for the additional merchandise in the shopping cart,” the police statement said…
“Through the police investigation it was learned that Allen had been receiving refunds in an amount exceeding $5,000 during last year,” the statement said.
Allen made $161,000 in his role as Bush’s top domestic policy adviser, according to government records.
Amazing.
