Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh resigns amid book deal scandal

(Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

published 2 May 2019

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh (D) has announced her resignation amid state and federal investigations into her book deals.

Pugh, who took a leave of absence last month citing a battle with pneumonia, on Thursday apologized in a statement "for the harm I have caused" and said that Baltimore "deserves a mayor who can move our great city forward," NBC News reports.

Pugh had been embroiled in scandal following revelations of a $500,000 no-bid deal she struck to sell her self-published children's books to the University of Maryland Medical System, where she was a board member until March, The New York Times reports. The Baltimore Sun also reported that Pugh was paid more than $100,000 for her books from a health provider that was seeking a contract with the city.

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Pugh's announcement comes after the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided City Hall and two of Pugh's houses for documents. The Washington Post notes she is the second mayor of Baltimore to resign amid a corruption probe in the past decade. Acting Mayor Bernard Young said in a statement per CNN that "although I understand that this ordeal has caused real pain for many Baltimoreans, I promise that we will emerge from it more committed than ever to building a stronger Baltimore."

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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