White House distances self from Charlottesville woman

White House officials have distanced themselves from a Charlottesville woman with misdemeanor theft and drug convictions whom the president featured at a July 19 news conference touting unemployment benefit extensions.

Leslie Ann Macko appeared in the Rose Garden with Barack Obama and two other people described as unemployed workers. The people were there to provide examples of the need to extend unemployment benefits. Officials said they were unaware of Macko’s convictions for misdemeanor theft in 2007 and misdemeanor prescription fraud in March 2009.

Her court troubles have created fertile fodder for blogs and television commentators. In a regular press briefing on Thursday, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the White House would not have featured Macko if it had known in advance of her convictions.

“I don’t know the circumstances around this particular event,” Gibbs said. “Without knowing a lot, I would certainly say that had that type of information been known, I doubt seriously that she would not have participated in the event here.”

Macko was charged in June 2007 with felony theft of a wood bench valued at more than $200 belonging to Great Eastern Management. She pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in September 2007. Macko was arrested in November 2008 for acquiring controlled substances with an altered or forged prescription. She pleaded guilty to the felony in March 2009 and her conviction was reduced to a misdemeanor in May 2010 after she met court requirements.

Before her legal troubles were well known, Macko fit the bill as an anthropomorphic demonstration for the White House’s pitch to extend benefits. Between March 2005 and April 2009, Macko was employed as an aesthetician by ACAC. When her employment was terminated in April 2009, Macko applied for, and was awarded, unemployment benefits at a June 15, 2009, hearing.

ACAC appealed that determination. After a Sept. 14 hearing on the merits of Macko’s case, her benefits were affirmed.

Fred Hudson, Democratic chairman for the 5th Congressional District, said White House officials did not approach the local party for people to represent those running out of benefits.

“It’s the kind of thing that’s usually handled by staff and usually on a short notice,” Hudson said. “I don’t know how the search went, but it could have easily been someone calling someone else who called someone else who knew her. There is usually a 24-hour notice before these events, so it’s done pretty quick.”

Secret Service officials have said background investigations were done, but that the probes were designed to weed out security risks, not potential political landmines.

None of Macko’s court records indicates that she was any sort of risk, but show that she has followed court-ordered guidelines.

“Since being placed on supervision, Ms. Macko has demonstrated a positive adjustment,” Nicole Dinunzi, Macko’s probation officer, wrote in an April 2010 letter to Albemarle County Circuit Judge Cheryl V. Higgins, who presided over Macko’s drug conviction.

Dinunzi wrote that Macko met all court-ordered requirements. “Additionally, she has also not tested positive for any illegal substances without having a valid prescrition to explain her results,” she wrote.

ACAC officials have said that Macko’s dismissal was not related to her legal woes. The Legal Aid Justice Center in Charlottesville, which represented Macko in her unemployment benefits hearing, released a statement that backed ACAC’s comment.

“In Virginia, an umemployed worker may receive unemployment benefits only if the job loss was through no fault of her own,” the center said in a prepared statement. “Ms. Macko was awarded unemployment benefits consistent with this principle.”

Local Republican leaders declined to comment.

“It’s really not a local issue,” said Rachel Schoenewald, chairwoman of the Albemarle County Republican Party. “I understand the idea of having real-life people representing issues, but in this case it didn’t work.”

Macko could not be reached for comment for this story.