Baltimore mayor resigns from medical board amid scrutiny of business deals

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh (D) resigned Monday from the board of directors for the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) amid scrutiny over a reported deal she had with the system to buy her children’s books.

“It has been an honor to have been associated with the important work of the UMMS Board, but the fact is, I have many other pressing concerns that require my full attention, energy and efforts,” Pugh said in a statement, according to The Baltimore Sun.

{mosads}Her resignation comes after the Sun reported last week that nine members of the board, including Pugh, have business deals with the hospital network, each worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

According to the Sun, Pugh reported on a 2017 financial disclosure form that she made $100,000 when the hospital purchased 20,000 copies of her “Healthy Holly” books. 

Pugh told the Sun last week that her deals with the hospital complied with legal disclosure requirements.

“There are disclosure forms. We fill them out. We make them available. There’s certainly some expertise on the board that is very much needed,” Pugh told the newspaper.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said he was “shocked and appalled” by the revelations in the Sun’s reporting.

“We’re going to push for major reforms,” Hogan told the Sun. “We’re going to make sure people are either going to terminate their financial relationship or terminate them for the board. We’re going to make sure these types of things don’t happen in the future. It’s outrageous and unacceptable.”