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F.B.I. Raids Baltimore City Hall and Mayor Catherine Pugh’s Homes F.B.I. Raids Baltimore City Hall and Mayor Catherine Pugh’s Homes
(about 2 hours later)
Hours after federal agents searched Baltimore City Hall and homes belonging to Mayor Catherine Pugh on Thursday morning as part of a series of coordinated raids, the governor of Maryland called for the mayor to resign, saying she had lost the ability to govern. Hours after federal agents searched Baltimore City Hall and homes belonging to Mayor Catherine Pugh on Thursday morning as part of a series of coordinated raids, the governor of Maryland called for the mayor to resign, saying she could no longer govern effectively.
“Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust,” Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement. “She is clearly not fit to lead.”“Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust,” Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement. “She is clearly not fit to lead.”
The governor’s demand for Mayor Pugh’s resignation comes a little more than two weeks after the Baltimore City Council urged Ms. Pugh to step down, and three weeks after Governor Hogan ordered a state investigation into the business relationship between Ms. Pugh and a company with extensive financial ties to the city. Mayor Pugh is a Democrat; Governor Hogan is a Republican.The governor’s demand for Mayor Pugh’s resignation comes a little more than two weeks after the Baltimore City Council urged Ms. Pugh to step down, and three weeks after Governor Hogan ordered a state investigation into the business relationship between Ms. Pugh and a company with extensive financial ties to the city. Mayor Pugh is a Democrat; Governor Hogan is a Republican.
The federal authorities did not disclose on Thursday what they were looking for in the early morning searches at City Hall and two of Ms. Pugh’s homes in Baltimore as well as at the Maryland Center for Adult Training, a nonprofit job training program.The federal authorities did not disclose on Thursday what they were looking for in the early morning searches at City Hall and two of Ms. Pugh’s homes in Baltimore as well as at the Maryland Center for Adult Training, a nonprofit job training program.
Agents from the F.B.I. and the Internal Revenue Service executed the search warrants, said an F.B.I. spokesman, Dave Fitz. The agents, from the F.B.I. and the Internal Revenue Service, also executed a search warrant at the law office of Steven D. Silverman, Ms. Pugh’s attorney, said an F.B.I. spokesman, Dave Fitz.
Ms. Pugh, who has denied wrongdoing, has been embroiled for weeks in a scandal over hundreds of thousands of dollars she received for a series of children’s books she began writing in 2011.Ms. Pugh, who has denied wrongdoing, has been embroiled for weeks in a scandal over hundreds of thousands of dollars she received for a series of children’s books she began writing in 2011.
On April 1, Governor Hogan asked state prosecutors to investigate a $500,000 payment that Ms. Pugh received from the University of Maryland Medical System, a nonprofit health care company that operates hospitals and other health care facilities in Baltimore and around the state.On April 1, Governor Hogan asked state prosecutors to investigate a $500,000 payment that Ms. Pugh received from the University of Maryland Medical System, a nonprofit health care company that operates hospitals and other health care facilities in Baltimore and around the state.
The payment was for copies of Ms. Pugh’s “Healthy Holly” books, which promote healthy children’s eating and exercise. The books were to be distributed to schools in the city. The payment was for 100,000 copies of Ms. Pugh’s “Healthy Holly” books, which promote healthy children’s eating and exercise. The books were to be distributed to schools in the city.
At the time of the arrangement, Ms. Pugh was a state senator and sat on the nonprofit organization’s board of directors. She resigned from the board after news of the payments became public in March, apologized for oversights she had made on financial disclosure forms, and returned $100,000.At the time of the arrangement, Ms. Pugh was a state senator and sat on the nonprofit organization’s board of directors. She resigned from the board after news of the payments became public in March, apologized for oversights she had made on financial disclosure forms, and returned $100,000.
But as embarrassing new details emerged, including that the vast majority of the books never reached school children and could not be located, a growing number of elected officials called for her resignation. Ms. Pugh also received more than $100,000 from Kaiser Permanente, the health care company, for 20,000 copies of the books, Kaiser Permanente said.
Ms. Pugh took a leave of absence this month after contracting pneumonia, but she has said she planned to return once she recovers. In her absence, the City Council president, Bernard C. Young, has led the city. As embarrassing new details continued to emerge, including that the vast majority of the books involved never reached school children and could not be located, a growing number of elected officials called for her resignation.
James Bentley, a spokesman for Mayor Pugh, did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday morning. Ms. Pugh took a leave of absence this month after contracting pneumonia and being hospitalized, but she has said she planned to return once she recovers. In her absence, the City Council president, Bernard C. Young, has led the city.
Mr. Silverman, Ms. Pugh’s lawyer, said in a statement Thursday that the federal agents had arrived at his office with a subpoena and had taken what he described as financial records related to the “Healthy Holly” books.
“We will continue to vigorously defend the mayor, who is entitled the presumption of innocence,” Mr. Silverman said in the statement.