Baltimore City Council Calls On Mayor Catherine Pugh To Resign

BALTIMORE, MD — In the wake of controversy over Mayor Catherine Pugh netting hundreds of thousands of dollars in book deals from health-care companies that do business with the government, the Baltimore City Council has unanimously called for her to resign over the weekend. Gov. Larry Hogan and other state leaders pressed for Pugh's resignation last week.

In a letter addressed to Pugh, the council says "it is not in the best interest of the City of Baltimore" for her to continue to serve as mayor, urging her to resign immediately.

The embattled Pugh took a leave of absence on April 1 to recover from pneumonia, after questions were raised about her "Healthy Holly" book deal with the University of Maryland Medical System.

In a statement Monday, Pugh said she fully intends to resume her duties when she returns from her leave of absence, WBFF-TV Fox45 reported.

In a statement, Councilman Brandon Scott said the investigation into Pugh's book deal hampers her from dealing with important city issues.

"Baltimore will continue to have a cloud over its head while the investigations into Mayor Pugh’s business dealings go on. ...Baltimore deserves a Mayor who can focus on reducing crime, improving our schools and restoring trust in our government,” Scott said in a statement.

Pugh has taken a leave of absence as she recovers from pneumonia, according to a statement her office provided to The Baltimore Sun last week. "With the mayor's health deteriorating," the statement said, Pugh is "taking an indefinite leave of absence to recuperate from this serious illness."

All of the city council members signed the memo urging Pugh to resign immediately.

Hogan wrote a letter to the state prosecutor on Monday, April 1, requesting an ethics investigation into the sale of Pugh's "Healthy Holly" children's books to the University of Maryland Medical System.

The medical system "has significant continuing ties with the state and receives very substantial public funding," Hogan wrote in a letter obtained by Fox 45.

Hogan, a Republican, was not alone in voicing his concern. Politicians on both sides of the aisle are asking for a resignation.

Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot, a Democrat, called the situation "cartoonish corruption," in a post on social media.

"The Mayor has to resign — now," Franchot wrote on Facebook April 1. "The people of Baltimore are facing too many serious challenges, as it is, to also deal with such brazen, cartoonish corruption from their chief executive."

Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga, a Republican, also called for the mayor's resignation.

"Mayor Pugh needs to resign," said the Maryland state delegate who represents Baltimore and Harford counties. "This whole thing stinks of political kick-backs, cover-ups and using your office for personal gain," she tweeted.

Patch will have more on this story as it develops.