President's Niece Has Brush with Law

By Stephen M. Silverman

Wednesday January 30, 2002 01:20 PM EST

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Police in Tallahassee, Fla., arrested the President's niece, Noelle Bush, 24, early Tuesday morning on suspicion of attempting to buy Xanax with a fraudulent prescription, reports The Washington Post and other news outlets. She is the daughter of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and has now been charged with a felony that carries a possible five-year sentence. In a statement issued by his office, the governor, also speaking for his wife, said, "Columbia and I are deeply saddened. This is a serious problem. Unfortunately, substance abuse is an issue confronting many families across our nation. We ask the police and the media to respect our family's privacy during this difficult time, so we can help our daughter." According to a police report that was faxed to more than 200 media outlets, says The Post, police were alerted by Walgreens pharmacist Carlos Zimmerman, who had received suspicious late-night voice-mail messages and a phone call from a woman claiming to be a Tallahassee physician named "Dr. Noel Scidmore" (who happens to be a man, says The Post) and ordering a prescription for Xanax 2, an anti-anxiety sedative that can be habit-forming. Police traced the phone number of "Dr. Scidmore" to Bush, and arrested her when she came to collect the prescription at 1 a.m. Noelle Bush's first cousins, Presidential twin daughters Jenna and Barbara Bush, also had their brushes with the law last year, when they were arrested for alcohol violations.