As Baltimore struggles, latest scandal sucks away attention
Apr 2, 2019 | 2:37 PM
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BALTIMORE — In a city that’s seen more than its share of corruption, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh is mired in a strange scandal involving no-contract deals that netted her hundreds of thousands of dollars for her self-published children’s picture books.
Some local leaders are frustrated that while the latest turmoil is embarrassing Maryland’s biggest city on a national scale, it’s also sucking attention away from issues like crime, drugs and poverty.
Since 2011, the Democrat has received payments totalling at least $700,000 for tens of thousands of her 20-page illustrated books meant to teach youngsters about health. Pugh’s main customer was a hospital network whose volunteer board of directors she sat on for nearly 20 years.
