Pugh’s office said she needed the new fundraising powers to bolster the city’s existing budget. In recent months the city has relied on charitable donations to fund the anti-violence Roca program; pay for buses for students to attend a rally against gun violence in Washington; and to deploy a jobs van that travels across the city to help unemployed residents find work. In each case, the mayor’s office has said she didn’t solicit any funds or violate the ethics rules.