ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - For once, Gov. Martin O'Malley got a pleasant surprise from Comptroller Peter Franchot at the start of a Board of Public Works meeting.
Franchot presented the governor with a check for $271 from the comptroller's unclaimed properties division Wednesday.
O'Malley told the comptroller: "This is the first thing you've ever given me." The remark prompted laughs from people attending the meeting.
The two have had frequent sparring bouts over the years about board decisions.
The money comes from a small amount in royalties the governor receives for his brief speaking role in the movie "Ladder 49." O'Malley says he'll donate the money to charity.
Franchot says his office has honored about 54,000 claims from Maryland residents, totaling about $54 million in the last fiscal year. The program returns lost property.