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Maryland's GOP governor is calling on Baltimore's mayor to resign as federal agents raid her homes and offices
Amy Davis/Baltimore Sun/TNS via Getty Images

Maryland's GOP governor is calling on Baltimore's mayor to resign as federal agents raid her homes and offices

She's accused of using her position to sell hundreds of thousands in children's books she wrote

Maryland's Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is calling on Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh to resign over corruption charges, as federal agents search her two homes and her City Hall office.

Wait...what is she accused of?

Pugh self-published a series of children's books about a girl named "Healthy Holly." The University of Maryland Medical System bought more than $500,000 worth of these books. Pugh was a member of the system's volunteer board of directors at the time. Pugh has since apologized for this "regrettable mistake" and returned the half million dollars.

Health care company Kaiser Permanente also bought copies of "Healthy Holly." Around the same time, the city of Baltimore gave it a $48 million contract.

What happened now?

According to WBAL-TV, the FBI and IRS executed search warrants for Pugh's homes and City Hall offices at roughly 6:30 a.m. local time Thursday. They also searched a nonprofit called the Maryland Center for Adult Training, Pugh's attorney's office, and the home of one of her former top aides, Gary Brown Jr.

In an unrelated case, Brown pleaded guilty to breaking campaign finance laws during Pugh's 2017 mayoral campaign. Pugh is listed as executive director on one of the Maryland Center for Adult Training's tax filings.

Her actions are the focus of both a federal case and a state criminal investigation.

The Washington Post reports that at least one of the cardboard boxes that agents removed from City Hall had the words "Healthy Holly" written on it.

In a statement on Twitter, Hogan said:

On April 1, I directed the state prosecutor to investigate the disturbing allegations surrounding Mayor Catherine Pugh's questionable financial dealings with UMMS. Today, agents for the FBI and the IRS executed search warrants at the mayor's homes and offices. Now more than ever, Baltimore City needs strong and responsible leadership. Mayor Pugh has lost the public trust. She is clearly not fit to lead. For the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign.

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