Federal brokers raided the house of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh, who has been beneath investigation for questionable enterprise ties.
An FBI spokesman mentioned search warrants had been issued for the mayor’s residence, offices in Baltimore’s City Hall, in addition to one other location associated to a nonprofit group managed by the mayor.
Pugh got here beneath suspicion earlier this 12 months, when a Baltimore Sun investigation revealed the mayor had earned 1000’s of {dollars} promoting her ‘Healthy Holly’ youngsters’s book collection to firms seeking to land contracts with the town.
In one sale, Pugh was paid some $114,000 by healthcare agency Kaiser Permanente, which two years later could be awarded a multi-million greenback contract offering well being protection for metropolis employees. Pugh sits on the town’s price range board, which permitted the contract.
The mayor additionally had beforehand undisclosed enterprise dealings with the University of Maryland Medical System, the place she served as a longtime board member.
Some have referred to as for her resignation.
“Now more than ever, Baltimore City needs strong and responsible leadership,” mentioned Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. “Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust. She is clearly not fit to lead. For the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign.”
The mayor has been on indefinite go away since April 1, when she was hospitalized with pneumonia. Acting Mayor Jack Young mentioned he had dismissed three of Pugh’s aides, and put a number of others on paid go away.