Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh (D) resigned from her office Thursday. Her resignation came the week after federal investigators raided Pugh’s home and city office as part of an investigation into sales of her “Healthy Holly” children’s’ book series. In a statement read by her attorney, she said, “I am sorry for the harm that I have caused to the image of the city of Baltimore and the credibility of the office of the mayor.”

 

Pugh had taken a leave of absence from office effective April 2, saying that she was suffering from pneumonia. City Council President Bernard “Jack” Young (D), who has been acting mayor since Pugh’s leave began, succeeded her.

 

Pugh was first elected mayor in 2016. A state and federal investigation into the sales of her children’s’ book series is ongoing. Pugh had been a member of the board of the University of Maryland Medical System while it ordered her books, while Kaiser Permanente purchased a run as it was bidding for a $48 million city contract. Pugh is estimated to have made over $800,000 from sales of the books.

 

Young, who has served on the city council since 1996 and as its president since 2010, said that he would not seek election to a full term in 2020, setting up an open-seat race for mayor.