T. Eloise Foster, the state?s budget director, was recently arrested by state police on drunken driving charges in Howard County.
Gov. Martin O?Malley?s Secretary of Budget and Management, Foster, 60, of Silver Spring, is charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving while impaired by alcohol and failing to drive within a single lane.
A Maryland state trooper in the Waterloo barracks pulled Foster over at 9:37 p.m. on June 9 while she was driving on southbound Interstate 95 at Vollmerhausen Road, according to a police report.
Foster failed a field sobriety test, was placed under arrest, and processed at the barracks, according to charging documents.
O?Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese said, “Secretary Foster immediately disclosed the incident. She has been treated like any other state employee, and has the governor?s full confidence as the legal process continues.” Foster?s attorney deferred comment to O?Malley?s office.
Maryland Republican Party Executive Director John Flynn said the O?Malley administration should have announced the charge immediately but was not surprised the governor didn?t, because O?Malley hid a 1987 drunken driving charge in Montgomery County from the voters during the last election. O?Malley was found not guilty of the charge.
“I would have hoped that after O?Malley hid his own DUI he would be more forthcoming with the actions of his staff,” Flynn said. “It?s standard operating procedure for this administration to keep things under wrap.”
Foster served as acting budget secretary when O?Malley took office in January and she became the permanent secretary in March.
A trial date has not been set.
