'SADDENED' BUSH TURNS TO HELPING DAUGHTER

Noelle Bush Accused Of Drug Prescription Fraud; Arrested At Pharmacy Window

TALLAHASSEE - Something about the late-night prescription drug order seemed
very wrong to Walgreens pharmacist Carlos Zimmerman.

He made a phone call to the doctor listed on the order, who failed to
specify how much of the sedative Xanax was being prescribed. Zimmerman
learned the physician no longer was practicing.

He made another call, this one to Tallahassee police, as the daughter of
Gov. Jeb Bush waited at the pharmacy's drive-up window for the phony order
to be filled.

Florida's first family is getting an up-close look at the challenges
America faces in its battle against illegal drug abuse.

Noelle Bush, 24, the second eldest of the governor's three children, was
arrested shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday on a charge of prescription fraud.
She was released pending a hearing Thursday in Leon County Court.

The governor and his wife, Columba, issued a brief statement Tuesday saying
they were "deeply saddened" by the arrest.

"Unfortunately, substance abuse is an issue confronting many families
across our nation," they said. "We ask the public and the media to respect
our family's privacy during this difficult time so that we can help our
daughter. We will have no further comment on this issue."

Noelle Bush, contacted by phone, said in a composed voice, "I'm not going
to answer any questions right now."

The third-degree felony carries a maximum penalty of five years and a
$5,000 fine.

New Job

Noelle Bush was to have started a job Tuesday morning at Infinity Software
Development, a Tallahassee company that landed $8 million in state
contracts last year, nearly 90 percent of its gross revenue.

Instead, she was hunkered down at home as her picture and details of the
arrest were broadcast internationally on television.

Thomas Lynch, Infinity's president and founder, said Noelle Bush's job as
an administrative assistant in his human resources office will be waiting
for her when she is "available to return to the work force."

Coincidently, a state Senate committee spent part of Tuesday debating
legislation intended to crack down on prescription drug fraud. Senate Bill
636 would require doctors use a standardized state form for all
prescriptions. The Health, Aging and Long-Term Care Committee unanimously
approved the bill.

Antidrug Campaign

The governor and his wife have made curbing illegal drug abuse a focus of
the Bush administration.

Columba Bush has used her role as Florida's first lady to help Informed
Families of Florida, a nonprofit group dedicated to generating greater
awareness of drug abuse.

Gov. Bush, in his State of the State address last week, cited ``our ongoing
battles against drug abuse'' as a priority he wants lawmakers to continue
funding despite the lean budget year.

But he has taken a dim view of efforts to require treatment over prison for
drug offenders.

Last year, Bush filed a legal brief with the state Supreme Court opposing a
proposed constitutional amendment mandating treatment for certain
nonviolent drug addicts. Bush argued it unfairly would limit the courts'
sentencing powers. The amendment is pending.

In his 1998 gubernatorial campaign, Bush acknowledged that his family has
experienced the difficulties of drug abuse, saying one of his three
children battled substance abuse problems. He never identified which child.

Xanax is a commonly prescribed antianxiety drug that can be highly
addictive. In large quantities it can produce feelings of euphoria.

"A Fake"

Police on Tuesday confronted Noelle Bush as she waited in her white
Volkswagen Beetle at the Walgreens pharmacy's drive-up window.

The pharmacist, Zimmerman, was unavailable for comment. But in his
statement to Tallahassee police, Zimmerman said he grew suspicious of the
phone-in order, left on the pharmacy's message machine by a woman with a
"shaky" voice who identified herself as Dr. Noel Scidmore.

He told officers a second doctor informed him that the physician whose name
was on the phone-in order "is moving and isn't really practicing right
now." The doctor reportedly told the pharmacist the prescription "was a
fake" and to "bust" whoever showed up to claim it.

By that time, a woman identifying herself as Noelle Bush had called twice
to check on the prescription, Zimmerman told police. When she arrived about
1 a.m., Zimmerman called police and delayed Bush at the drive-up window
until officers arrived.

The telephone number left by the woman claiming to be the prescribing
physician is a second residential phone line into Noelle Bush's apartment
in Tallahassee.

Bush family members have had other legal missteps.

In 1999, Columba Bush failed to declare $19,000 of clothes and jewelry she
bought in Paris as she re-entered the country and was detained by U.S.
Customs agents at the Atlanta airport. She paid a $4,100 fine.

In May 2001, President Bush's twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara, were
charged with underage drinking. They avoided prosecution by performing
community service, attending alcohol awareness classes and paying $100 in
fines.

Records show Noelle Bush has had contacts with police over the years.

According to the state Department of Motor Vehicles, she has been in three
auto accidents since 1995, received seven speeding tickets and been cited
for five other traffic violations.