
Democrat lawmaker busted for shoplifting at Target self-checkout line, then uses ailing granny as an excuse
A Democratic state representative from Connecticut busted for shoplifting after failing to scan items at a Target self-checkout offered a litany of excuses, including that he was 'in a rush to bring items to my grandmother in the hospital.'
State Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan was arrested Monday night at a Target store in Bethel, about 60 miles southwest of Hartford, after authorities reviewed security footage allegedly showing he neglected to scan two of his items, totaling $26.69 in value.
State Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan, a four-term lawmaker from Connecticut, was arrested Monday for allegedly failing to scan two items at a Target store in Bethel.
Raghib Allie-Brennan / Facebook
He was detained by loss prevention personnel, who later told cops they recognized the four-term lawmaker from 'previous unreported larcenies,' CT Mirror reported, citing a Bethel Police arrest summary.
Advertisement
Allie-Brennan, 33, who was first elected in 2018, acknowledged the incident on his Facebook page Tuesday in an excuse-laden post.
The rep. later took to Facebook and offered a laundry list of excuses, including blaming the store for running out of bags.
MelissaMN – stock.adobe.com
'During a recent visit to the Bethel Target, two items in my armload of others were not scanned. I was in a rush to bring items to my grandmother in the hospital, the store didn't have bags, and I was juggling multiple purchases,' he wrote.
Advertisement
'While I do not have a record, I take full responsibility for the error and am working through the legal processes to resolve the matter quickly and respectfully.'
He added, 'I respect the law and Target's right to enforce their loss prevention policy, and I remain committed to serving my community with transparency and integrity.'
In a statement, Connecticut House Speaker Matt Ritter addressed the kerfuffle involving his fellow Dem.
Advertisement
'He recognizes the high standard to which I hold our members and is taking responsibility for inadvertently leaving the Target self-checkout without scanning several items.'
Allie-Brennan did not respond to an email from The Post seeking comment.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Boston Globe
22 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
With Zohran Mamdani's win in New York, voters spoke. Is the Democratic establishment listening?
Advertisement Even Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who pushed for Cuomo's resignation in 2021 after a state investigation concluded that he Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up A majority of voters rejected Cuomo in a primary with a larger than usual turnout on a day that was Advertisement Mamdani's victory — and, to be clear, he still needs to win the November election to become New York's next mayor — shows that Democratic voters are tired of the same old faces in the same old places. They want to vote for, and not just against, someone, and that's what Mamdani represents across a spectrum of voters and communities. His win recalls 2018, when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also a democratic socialist, defeated Joe Crowley, a 10-term New York incumbent, to become, at 29, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress. Later that year, Ayanna Pressley, the first Black woman elected to the Boston City Council, was also elected to Congress, besting Michael Capuano, who had represented the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District since 1999. Pressley, who trailed Capuano in the polls right up to the election but That could be what voters want from Mamdani — a different kind of leader who is relatable, engaging, and dynamic. He spoke with people, not to them. And he presented economic policies like rent freezes and free buses that ordinary New Yorkers — not billionaires — could embrace and understand. Meanwhile, Cuomo borrowed the GOP's politics of fear and tried to scare everyone to death. He Advertisement The former governor's dismissive tone had the tinny echo of Maybe voters didn't want a political nepo baby running on familiarity and name recognition. Maybe they rejected a man who left his previous job in disgrace over credible sexual harassment accusations. Or perhaps people needed the light and hope Mamdani offers in these difficult times instead of Cuomo's doom and darkness. In a CNN interview, Democrat Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut said, 'I know that this feels like a shock to a lot of folks but it doesn't seem like rocket science. [Mamdani is] focused on reordering economic power, he's dynamic, and he's a new voice. Check, check, check.' Democrats don't need a wildly popular podcaster, someone who could be their liberal Joe Rogan, to win again. They need candidates who generate passion and stand fast for the values of equity and justice that the Democratic establishment espouses but abandons when elections don't go their way. Related : Mamdani's road to Gracie Mansion — the New York mayor's residence — won't be easy. Cuomo appears likely to run an independent campaign, which is what Eric Adams, the problematic President Trump-appeasing incumbent, already has done. Mamdani will continue to face baseless accusations of antisemitism as well as hostility from bellicose billionaires like Advertisement So far, there's been more noise from Mamdani's detractors than from the leaders of the party he belongs to. They should recognize and replicate how he has connected, especially with young voters. In his Renée Graham is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at


Los Angeles Times
4 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Trump's tax and spending cuts bill clears key test vote in Senate
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans voting in a dramatic late Saturday session narrowly cleared a key procedural step as they race to advance President Trump's package of tax breaks, spending cuts and bolstered deportation funds by his Fourth of July deadline. The 51-49 vote came after a tumultuous session with Vice President JD Vance on hand if needed to break a tie. Tense scenes played out in the chamber as voting came to a standstill, dragging on for hours as holdout senators huddled for negotiations. In the end, two Republicans opposed the motion to proceed to debate, joining all Democrats and independents. It's still a long weekend of work to come. Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition, but they have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. Not all GOP lawmakers are on board with proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid, food stamps and other programs as a way to help cover the cost of extending some $3.8 trillion in Trump tax breaks. Ahead of the expected roll call, the White House released a statement of administrative policy saying it 'strongly supports passage' of the bill that 'implements critical aspects' of the president's agenda. Trump was at his golf course in Virginia on Saturday with GOP senators posting about it on social media. 'It's time to get this legislation across the finish line,' said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.). But as the day wore on, billionaire Elon Musk, a key Trump advisor for the first months of the administration, lashed out against the package — as he has in the past — calling it 'utterly insane and destructive.' 'The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!' he said in a post. The 940-page bill was released shortly before midnight Friday, and senators are expected to grind through the hours of all-night debate and amendments in the days ahead. If the Senate is able to pass it, the bill would go back to the House for a final round of votes before it could reach the White House. With narrow Republican majorities in the House and Senate, leaders need almost every lawmaker on board in the face of essentially unified opposition from Democrats. GOP Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Rand Paul of Kentucky voted against. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Republicans unveiled the bill 'in the dead of night' and are rushing to finish the vote before the public fully knows what's in it. He was expected to call for a full reading of the text in the Senate overnight, which would take hours. The weekend session could be a make-or-break moment for Trump's party, which has invested much of its political capital on his signature domestic policy plan. The president is pushing Congress to wrap it up and has admonished the 'grandstanders' among GOP holdouts to fall in line. The legislation is an ambitious but complicated series of GOP priorities. At its core, it would make permanent many of the tax breaks from Trump's first term that would otherwise expire by year's end if Congress fails to act, resulting in a potential tax increase on Americans. The bill would add new breaks, including no taxes on tips, and commit $350 billion to national security, including for Trump's mass deportation agenda. But the cutbacks to Medicaid, food stamps and green energy investments, which a top Democrat, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, said would be a 'death sentence' for America's wind and solar industries, are also causing dissent within GOP ranks. The Republicans are relying on the reductions to offset the lost tax revenues, but some lawmakers say the cuts go too far, particularly for people receiving healthcare through Medicaid. Meanwhile, conservatives, worried about the nation's debt, are pushing for steeper cuts. Tillis, who said he spoke with Trump late Friday explaining his concerns, announced Saturday he cannot support the package as is, largely because he said the healthcare changes would force his state to 'make painful decisions like eliminating Medicaid coverage for hundreds of thousands.' The release of that draft had been delayed as the Senate parliamentarian reviewed the bill to ensure it complied with the chamber's strict 'Byrd rule,' named for the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd ( It largely bars policy matters from inclusion in budget bills unless a provision can get 60 votes to overcome objections. That would be a tall order in a Senate with a 53-47 Republican edge and Democrats unified against Trump's bill. Republicans suffered a series of setbacks after several proposals, including shifting food stamp costs from the federal government to the states or gutting the funding structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, were deemed out of compliance with the rules. But over the past few days, Republicans have quickly revised those proposals and reinstated them. The final text includes a proposal for cuts to the Medicaid provider tax that had run into parliamentary hurdles and objections from several senators worried about the fate of rural hospitals. The new version extends the start date for those cuts and establishes a $25-billion fund to aid rural hospitals and providers. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who had opposed the cuts, vowed 'to do everything I can' to make sure the reductions never go into effect. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said that under the House-passed version of the bill, some 10.9 million people would lose their healthcare coverage and at least 3 million fewer would qualify for food aid. The CBO has not yet publicly assessed the Senate draft, which proposes steeper reductions. Top income-earners would see about a $12,000 tax cut under the House bill, while the package would cost the poorest Americans an additional $1,600, the CBO said. The Senate included a compromise over the so-called SALT provision, a deduction for state and local taxes that has been a top priority of lawmakers from California, New York and other high-tax states, but the issue remains unsettled. The current SALT cap is $10,000 a year, and a few Republicans wanted to boost it to $40,000 a year. The final draft includes a $40,000 cap, but limits it to five years. Many Republican senators say that is still too generous. At least one House GOP holdout, Rep. Nick LaLota of New York, has said that would be insufficient. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) sent his colleagues home for the weekend with plans to be on call to return to Washington. But as the Senate draft was revealed, House GOP support was uncertain. One Republican, Rep. David Valadao of Hanford, said he was opposed. Mascaro, Freking and Cappelletti write for the Associated Press. AP writers Ali Swenson and Matthew Daly contributed to this report.


New York Post
4 hours ago
- New York Post
Senate votes 51-49 to advance President Trump's ‘big beautiful' spending bill — despite opposition from 2 GOP lawmakers
The Senate voted Saturday to launch into debate on President Trump's 'big beautiful' spending bill, after Republican leaders spent hours working to gain enough support to approve the 940-page document. The multi-trillion dollar bill narrowly advanced in a 51-49 procedural vote, despite opposition from two Republican lawmakers who joined their Democratic colleagues in an attempt to block the measure from reaching the Senate floor. Senators Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Rand Paul (R-KY) were the holdouts after they publicly declared that they wouldn't be backing the bill in its current form. Advertisement The Capitol dome in Washington DC on June 28, 2025. REUTERS Debate will now begin on the spending bill – and that could take hours as New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer has promised to have the nearly 1,000-page measure read before a final vote on passing it can happen. Trump has lobbied for House and Senate Republicans to fast-track the legislation so it lands on his desk by his self-imposed July 4 deadline. Advertisement The measure would make Trump's 2017 tax cuts permanent, end taxation on tips and overtime, boost border security funding and scrap green-energy tax credits passed during the Biden administration. The legislation would also have to raise the debt ceiling by roughly $5 trillion in order to cram in all the provisions. Trump warned potential dissenters earlier Saturday that refusal to support his bill would be an 'ultimate betrayal' – later lashing out at Tillis on social media for making a 'big mistake' and threatening to primary him for turning his back on the spending bill. 'Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against 'Senator Thom' Tillis,' Truth posted on Truth Social as the vote stalled late Saturday night. 'I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks, looking for someone who will properly represent the Great People of North Carolina and, so importantly, the United States of America. Thank you for your attention to this matter!'