CT Dem lawmaker arrested after stealing from Target AGAIN

Connecticut state Rep. Raghib Allie-Brennan is facing a second set of shoplifting charges tied to the same Target store where he was arrested earlier this summer.

The 33-year-old Democrat turned himself in to police on July 28 after a warrant was issued in connection with an incident at the Bethel Target. According to an arrest affidavit, a store security guard reported seeing Allie-Brennan “concealing items into the Goodfellow bag that he had selected.” The unpaid merchandise in this case was valued at $54.55, the Hartford Courant reported.

Target employees told police they recognized the four-term legislator from “previous unreported larcenies,” according to the CT Mirror. He was released on a promise to appear in the state Superior Court on August 5.

The earlier arrest occurred in June, when police said Allie-Brennan failed to scan $26.69 worth of items at the same store. At the time, he told officers he was in a rush to bring the items to his grandmother in the hospital.

“I’ve been upfront about taking responsibility for my actions,” Allie-Brennan said in a statement, according to the New York Post. “I’m taking accountability and look forward to continuing my work on behalf of our community.”

On July 3, the lawmaker posted on Facebook that he had applied for Accelerated Rehabilitation, a program for first-time offenders that can result in charges being dropped after court-imposed conditions are met. He told The Post that both cases are now being handled under the same application for the program.

Republican leaders in the state have called for his resignation. “It is regrettable that, once again, a Democrat member of the Connecticut General Assembly has found themselves in handcuffs and subject to criminal prosecution,” said Connecticut Republican State Chairman Ben Proto. “In light of these allegations, Representative Allie-Brennan should step down from his position.”

House Speaker Matt Ritter, a Democrat, said he has spoken with Allie-Brennan and voiced concern about his behavior. “Raghib will take some personal time away from the legislature over the next month to deal with the legal, political and personal ramifications,” Ritter said.