Pugh Aide Sentenced For Straw Contributions

A Baltimore City judge has sentenced an aide Mayor Catherine Pugh after the aide pleaded guilty to election law violations, State Prosecutor Emmet C. Davitt said Tuesday.

Gary Brown Jr., a member of the city Democratic central committee who worked for Pugh's mayoral campaign, deposited personal cash into the bank accounts of his mother, stepfather and brother and then immediately made contributions in their names to the Pugh campaign, Brown admitted. In all, his contributions to the Pugh campaign totaled $18,000, three times what state law allows an individual to contribute in an election cycle.

"Election laws are in place to maintain the integrity of the electoral process and foster transparency in the regulation of campaign contributions," Davitt said. "Illegal straw contributions in names other than one's own to evade such laws cannot be tolerated.

Circuit court Judge Charles J. Peters imposed probation before judgement and ordered Brown to serve one year of supervised probation.

Brown was set to be sworn in to fill a vacancy in the House of Delegates, but that was quickly scuttled after the charges were announced. Prior to working on Pugh's campaign, he was Pugh's legislative aide in the state Senate.