Surprise: White House Aide Caught In Shoplifting Scheme

I don't hope, you'll start posting this again and again - a tradition under your previous member names.

The article said that the return that caught him included houshold cleaners.

Okay, I might buy stereo equipment at Target, and while there grab some cleaning supplies... But, if I decide against the stereo I wouldn't return the cleaning supplies. What reason would there be for that?

That wasn't very smart.

(March 13, 2006 -- 11:51 PM EST // link)
Oh, now this is just too weird.

As you know, we've been following the bizarre case of Claude Allen, former top advisor to President Bush who was arrested a few days ago and booked and charges stemming from a lengthy shoplifting spree.

Now, here late this evening I got an email from TPM Reader WH who directed my attention to today's All Things Considered on NPR in which Michele Norris interviews Michael Fletcher, a reporter with the Post who's been covering the story.

Now, right at about 1:40 into the interview comes this exchange ...

Norris: We should note something, Michael. Apparently Claude Allen has a twin brother?
Fletcher: Yes, he does. He has an identical twin brother who even close friends can't tell them apart when they see them. And people have seen him and close friends say that Mr. Allen has indicated to them that maybe his brother holds the key to this entire puzzling affair.


Now, I take it I'm not reading too much into this to think that the idea here is that this is a case of mistaken identity in which the virtuous Claude Allen has been nailed for the crimes of his evil twin Floyd.

I have to tell you this new story seems so insane and ridiculous that I have suspect it's actually true. And, no, I'm not entirely kidding. Who could come up with such a story?

Now, through the miracle of the TPM research service, we've acquired these two scans of the two brothers from their High School yearbook, senior and junior year ...




Now, just to show we're a good sport about all this and willing to play this out to its inane conclusion, here's a passage from tomorrow's piece in the Times ...

People who talked to Mr. Allen Monday said he remained surprisingly upbeat in the face of the charges. He said only one side of the story had been heard, said one former colleague who asked not to be identified because the conversation was private.
Like others who know him, his stepmother cannot understand the turn of events. "I simply have no idea where things could have gone wrong in his life," Mrs. Allen said.

Floyd was the twin who "kept running into bad times," while Claude Allen intervened repeatedly to help him, she said.

In 2001, Floyd Allen declared bankruptcy in Virginia; a year earlier he was ordered to pay $6,450 in a civil suit brought against him by a travel company, according to state and federal records.


So who'll put $50 down on the evil twin theory?

-- Josh Marshall

Oops, forgot the link on that last one.... can see the pictures there


http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/007891.php

Cool!

Evil twin?!

Oh my goodness.

That would make as much sense as anything, I guess.

Um, I didn't think they looked that much alike. Maybe they do.

But, why would Floyd have Claudes credit card?

Hmmm, I wonder of GW.... nah, couldn't be

Hi Squinney,

Beats me. And Claude doesn't seem to be ready to explain. It sounds like the beginning of another bu$h soap opera.

Maybe Floyd scamed Claude's bank too??

I'm not buying it though. Some people really are just dumb enough to try this sort of stuff. I busted 2 guys out of the military for repeated shoplifting. Neither was rich by any means but they had pocket money and had been picked up for steal candy bars and other items that were all under $3.00. There was just no reason legit reason for them to be stealing this sort of stuff. This story sounds like the same sort of thing.