Baltimore Mayor Takes Leave Of Absence: Report

BALTIMORE, MD — Mayor Catherine Pugh is reportedly taking a leave of absence, while at least one state official has called for her resignation. She will be on leave as of midnight, the city solicitor told The Baltimore Sun, which reported city council president Bernard C. “Jack” Young will take over while she is out.

Pugh is taking leave as she recovers from pneumonia, according to a statement her office provided to The Sun.

"With the mayor's health deteriorating," the statement said, Pugh is "taking an indefinite leave of absence to recuperate from this serious illness."

Three state leaders are calling for action due to the Baltimore mayor netting hundreds of thousands of dollars in book deals from health-care companies that do business with the government.

Gov. Larry 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 Monday afternoon. "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.

Mayor Pugh needs to resign. The people of Baltimore deserve better. This whole thing stinks of political kick-backs, cover-ups, and using your office for personal gain. We need a "healthy" dose of transparency all the way around. https://t.co/MMblvDPd4y
— Kathy Szeliga (@KathyforMD) April 1, 2019

Franchot and Szeliga shared an article by The Baltimore Sun about contracts that Pugh had with various companies that do business with the city and the state to purchase her "Healthy Holly" books in bulk:

• University of Maryland Medical System paid $500,000 for 100,000 books.
• Kaiser Permanente paid $114,000 for 20,000 books.
• CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield paid $14,500 for 2,000 books.

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