Pugh Explains Publication Of Children's Books, Defends Deal With Hospital System

Mayor Catherine Pugh on Thursday issued a statement attempting to explain how her "Healthy Holly" children's books came about and why the University of Maryland Medical System paid her for the book.

Pugh, who has sat on the hospital system's board for 18 years until Monday. said she's had a longtime interest in health and fitness and, as a longtime publisher and author, decided to combine the two while also serving as a state senator.

"I started working on the Healthy Holly concept more than a decade ago after attending a conference on childhood health and obesity, and, for several years, I put a great deal of time and my own money into developing it," she said. "It was a project that I was passionate about, and I was excited for the opportunity to expand its reach. I recall passing the time by thumbing through the first book before an UMMS meeting. One my colleagues loved it and thought it would help advance children’s health."

The revelation of her book deal precipitated resignations and leaves of absence of other UMMS board members with their own financial dealings with the system, as well as the pending leave of absence of the system's CEO.

Pugh said she was glad her messages reached city children. Nearly 9,000 of her books are currently sitting in a city schools warehouse. She said she never thought her books would create such a stir, though understands "how it may look to some." A day earlier, in an interview with The Baltimore Sun, she called inquiries into her financial dealings a "witch hunt."

Pugh said that in addition to resigning from the UMMS board and returning the most recent payment received from the system, she updated her state Senate financial disclosure forms after discovering the transactions were disclosed on one set of forms but not another. She said she has reported the revenue on her tax returns.