Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh resigned from the University of Maryland Medical System board of directors amid scrutiny for failing to disclose a previous deal with the organization, according to The Baltimore Sun.
Five things to know:
1. In a statement obtained by The Baltimore Sun, Ms. Pugh said, "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."
2. Ms. Pugh's resignation follows public scrutiny after she failed to disclose a $500,000 business relationship she has held with the health system since 2011, according to a second report from The Baltimore Sun.
3. The mayor recently submitted an amendment for reports filed with the state ethics commission between 2010-16. During that period, Ms. Pugh established a company to sell her series of children's books to the medical system.
4. The amended disclosure forms state the health system purchased Ms. Pugh's Healthy Holly book series and distributed them to schools in the city in 2012, 2013 and 2015, the report states. City and UMMS officials told the publication the health system spent $500,000 to purchase 100,000 copies of the book series in during the years of 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2018.
5. In disclosure forms that must be filed by UMMS board members, Ms. Pugh incorrectly reported that she received $100,000 in profit from the sale of her book series. The mayor said March 14 those figures were incorrect.
"The net profit to my company after illustration, printing and shipping costs amounted to approximately $20,000 in each of the [five] years that the University of Maryland Medical System purchased the books. The gross revenue of $100,000 listed as 'profits' in my board disclosure was incorrect," she said.