Benjamin Foster, a staff member for Tim Pawlenty’s presidential exploratory committee, was arrested and charged with public intoxication and trespassing early Wednesday morning in Iowa, KCCI reports.
15-year-old Chloe Steward, of Ankeny, Iowa, told KCCI she found a man at the back door of her family’s home at 3 a.m. Wednesday morning.
“His arm was in my back door, trying to get in and I screamed and went upstairs to my parents room and I continued screaming,” Steward said.
The family then called the police, who arrived and arrested Foster, 24.
Iowa political strategist Eric Woolson, a consultant for the Pawlenty’s exploratory committee, confirmed to KCCI that Foster is employed by the committee.
Foster, who was released on a $600 bond, has already issued an apology about the incident.
“I want to apologize to all affected by my poor judgment,” Foster said, in a statement obtained by Politico. “I especially apologize to the people who were disturbed during the incident and the arresting officers. I give my word that it will never happen again.”
Politico reports that the committee has placed Foster on a two-week unpaid suspension, and quotes Woolson saying that “Governor Pawlenty is extremely disappointed in Ben’s actions and his behavior does not meet the standards he expects of his employees.”
The Steward family told KCCI that Foster vomited in their backyard.
The Pawlenty campaign and the Polk County Jail did not immediately respond to TPM’s requests for comment.
