Arrest of Ex-Bush Aide Shocks Associates

Working in Washington, Allen cultivated a circle of influential conservative friends. While clerking for Judge David Sentelle at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in the late-1980s, Allen befriended Clarence Thomas, who served on the appeals court before being elevated to the Supreme Court in 1991.

The two would often go to lunch, sometimes talking about the burdens of being black conservatives. "He would always say to make sure I conducted myself appropriately," Allen recalled in an interview last year.

Allen went on to practice law for several years, before working in Virginia under Gov. Jim Gilmore in the state attorney general's office and as state health and human resources secretary. Gilmore recalled that Allen helped organize a meeting of Southern attorneys general in response to a string of arsons at black churches -- the fires stopped soon after -- and how he was influential in getting King's widow, Coretta, to come to Virginia to demonstrate that it is an inclusive community.

"I have never seen anything except the highest character from Claude Allen," Gilmore said.

As health and human resources secretary, Allen earned a reputation for being a staunch conservative by promoting sexual abstinence programs and helping to reorganize Virginia's welfare system.

Allen's conservative positions earned him the enmity of some civil rights and liberal leaders, but he was a favorite of Christian conservatives, who saw him as one of their own.

Some of Allen's friends in the Avalon Farm neighborhood of Gaithersburg described him as a deeply religious man who was personable and wise, honest and honorable.

"Knowing Claude, I knew that this was not true, and to think that his character would be maligned in this way, in such a public way, was sad," said Ava Rushford, 44, a homemaker who lives near Allen, whom she considers a close friend.

Three years ago, while Rushford was recovering from a spinal tap, Allen's wife, Jannese, sat by her bedside while Allen and his children played with Rushford's daughters. She cried when she learned of Allen's arrest.

The allegations "would be completely day and night out of character from what we would know of him and have been aware of how he operates and the level of integrity he has," said neighbor Nick Tedesco, 50, who takes weekly ballroom dancing classes with the Allens.

Both families also attend the 3,000-member Covenant Life Church, a nondenominational church in Gaithersburg. When the Allens moved to Maryland, they chose the Gaithersburg neighborhood to be closer to Covenant Life Church, said Lucy Tedesco, 46, who works at the church.

"Whenever a house went for sale, I would call them and ask them to move to our neighborhood," she said.

Allen's multi-story home has a tan brick facade with a dozen windows on the front exterior as well as an arched window over the doorway. The Allens bought the home in October for $958,300.

When Allen resigned in February, he told neighbors he wanted to spend more time with his family, after being worn down from the hellish hours at the White House -- which is the same reason he gave White House officials before announcing his resignation on Feb. 9.

"It was wearing on him," Nick Tedesco said. "As he communicated with us, we felt that was his sole and primary reason to leave office."

Staff writers Theresa Vargas, Dan Zak and Michael Shear, and staff researcher Magda Jean-Louis contributed to this report.