Pugh Returns Most Recent Payment From UMMS, Says She'll Self-Publish Book

Illness kept Mayor Catherine Pugh away from City Hall on Wednesday. By phone, she said she has sent back some of the money paid to her by the medical system for children's books she wrote -- while she served on the board.

A top aide to Pugh filled her seat at the Board of Estimates Wednesday morning. Pugh, the city solicitor said, was so ill with a bad cold that staffers advised her to stay home.

New: @MayorPugh50 says she has docs incl 1099s to account for the income she made through children's book sales to UMMS. Pugh says she has returned most recent $100,000 payment to UMMS within past ten days. Will finish that book and distribute herself. Spoke by phone — Jayne Miller (@jemillerwbal) March 20, 2019

”She is really sick," said Baltimore City Solicitor Andre Davis.

By phone, Pugh answered key questions about her dealings with the University of Maryland Medical System while she sat on the board.

Pugh said she has documents, including tax documents, to account for the money her business was paid by the medical system for a series of children's books she wrote.

She said she has returned the most recent payment, $100,000, to the medical system within the past 10 days. That book, she said, is still in the works. She will distribute it herself.

UMMS spokesperson says medical system has received $100,000 sent back to system by @MayorPugh50 over past 10 days. Pugh said money was for children's book currently in the works and part of payments she has received from UMMS in past seven years — Jayne Miller (@jemillerwbal) March 20, 2019

Pugh resigned from the medical system board on Monday. On Tuesday, two other board members who also had business dealings with the system resigned while four others took a leave of absence.

In total, nine board members reported doing business with the system.

At the Board of Public Works meeting in Annapolis, Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot called for an independent audit of the medical system's business dealings with board members.

And he noted, Pugh was voting on medical system issues while she was in the Legislature and had the book deal.

"The $500,000 book deal caught my eye with a former senator who led the Finance Committee that funded a lot of the operations. And now everyone is wringing their hands about the self-dealing that was going on," said Franchot.

House Speaker Michael Busch also sits on the board. He has not reported any business dealings, but the comptroller spared him no criticism.

"The speaker has been on the board for 16 years. Sixteen years," said Franchot.