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The Enigmatic Man
(By Ron Edmonds -- Associated Press)
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He continued life as usual at the White House -- attending daily meetings on domestic policy; appearing at a White House luncheon on Jan. 17; sitting with first lady Laura Bush during the Jan. 31 State of the Union address; traveling with the president a couple of days later to Minnesota.
On Feb. 9, he told the White House he was resigning to spend more time with his family. On Feb. 17, his last day, he conducted an "Ask the White House" online chat about domestic policy, the field in which he advised President Bush on health care, education, housing and other policies, and coordinated the implementation of those policies across government agencies.
And then he was gone -- only to resurface in the news as an alleged felon on March 9, charged with two counts of felony theft, each carrying a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Police later told The Washington Post that Allen had, on the day of his initial misdemeanor citation, admitted he was committing a fraudulent refund.
Mallon Snyder, one of his lawyers, described the arrest then as a big "misunderstanding."
Neither Allen nor any of his relatives nor his lawyers, Snyder and Gregory B. Craig, would speak for this article. His trial had been set for Thursday, but yesterday his lawyers applied for a postponement.
Shortly after his arrest, Allen asked his pastor at Covenant Life Church of Gaithersburg for help. A devout Christian, Allen moved his wife and four children from Reston to Gaithersburg to be closer to the church. Joshua Harris, the senior pastor, told the large congregation on March 12 that pastors would be ministering to Allen.
Allen "has invited our care," Harris said, according to the statement he read to the congregation. "Our role is not to provide legal counsel. Our concern is for his soul."
What Went Wrong?
Were the rigors of the grueling White House schedule too great?
Did Allen snap after decades of operating outside the African American mainstream and often in concert with figures, like Helms, viewed as hostile to black interests?
Were there money troubles? Was that million-dollar house in Gaithersburg too much for him, on a $161,000 salary?
The news of his arrest ricocheted across the country. His acquaintances and supporters were flabbergasted, disbelieving.
