After Criticism For Earning Thousands From Hospital System For Book, Baltimore Mayor Takes Leave Of Absence

Mayor Catherine Pugh received $500,000 from The University Of Maryland Medical system for her "Healthy Holly" children's books and allegedly pushed dozens of bills to benefit hospitals when she was a state senator while also serving on a hospital board. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan called for an investigation on Monday. Pugh announced she's taking an indefinite leave for health reasons.

The New York Times: Baltimore Mayor To Take Leave Of Absence Amid Children’s Book Scandal
Facing a growing scandal over payments made to her for a series of children’s books that she wrote, Mayor Catherine E. Pugh of Baltimore announced on Monday that she would take an indefinite leave of absence for health reasons. The announcement came shortly after Gov. Larry Hogan asked Maryland state prosecutors to investigate a $500,000 payment that Ms. Pugh had received from a nonprofit health care company with ties to the state and city governments. (Williams, 4/1)

The Wall Street Journal: Baltimore Mayor Takes Leave Of Absence Amid Criticism Over ‘Healthy Holly’ Books
Ms. Pugh, a Democrat elected in 2016, made the announcement hours after Republican Gov. Larry Hogan called for the state prosecutor to investigate the medical system’s purchase of 100,000 “Healthy Holly” books for $500,000 since 2011. Ms. Pugh previously said she returned $100,000 to the system, one of the state’s largest private employers. “These are deeply disturbing allegations,” Mr. Hogan wrote in the letter to State Prosecutor Emmet Davitt. “I am particularly concerned about the UMMS sale because it has significant continuing ties with the State and receives very substantial public funding.” (Calvert, 4/1)

The Baltimore Sun: Kaiser Permanente, Associated Black Charities Paid Baltimore Mayor Pugh Almost $200K For 'Healthy Holly' Books 
The University of Maryland Medical System wasn’t the only major buyer of Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh’s “Healthy Holly” children’s books. Health provider Kaiser Permanente paid Pugh more than $100,000 to buy about 20,000 copies of her books during a period when the company was seeking a lucrative contract to provide health benefits to city employees. (Rector, Richman, Bowie and Cohn, 4/1)

The Baltimore Sun: As A Maryland Senator, Pugh Pushed Bills To Benefit Hospitals While Getting Book Payments From Medical System 
While she received hundreds of thousands of dollars though a no-bid book deal with the University of Maryland Medical System, then state senator Catherine Pugh sponsored dozens of bills affecting hospitals in Maryland — including several that would have benefited UMMS. From 2011 to 2016, Pugh — who is now on indefinite leave as Baltimore’s mayor — sponsored or co-sponsored more than 40 bills affecting hospitals, doctors and insurance companies, according to General Assembly records. The Baltimore Democrat did this while serving on the medical system’s Board of Directors, which is now under fire over accusations of self-dealing in part because of Pugh’s $500,000 book deal. (Broadwater, 4/2)

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