Bush adviser charged with thefts

US President George W Bush’s former political adviser has been charged with allegedly stealing more than $5,000 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 in February.

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.

He reported the incident to White House staff the day after the incident, saying it was a misunderstanding related to his credit cards, a White House spokesman said.

“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.

“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.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk