Former Mayor Catherine Pugh, who pleaded guilty last November to federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States and two counts of tax evasion, is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court next week.
Pugh announced last April that she would be taking an indefinite leave of absence for personal health reasons after The Baltimore Sun reported that she had engaged in unethical activity surrounding her children’s book series Healthy Holly. It was reported that Pugh exchanged city contracts for book sales and had received over $500,000 from the University of Maryland Medical System for 100,000 copies of the book.
Additionally, Kaiser Permanente purchased $114,000 worth of books. This purchase coincided with negotiations regarding health-care coverage for city employees.
On Nov. 20, she was indicted by a grand jury on eleven counts for misconduct relating to book sales.
Prosecutors are calling for the maximum prison sentence of nearly five years. Pugh, however, has asked for a sentence of one year and one day.
In a detailed outline of Pugh’s crimes, prosecutors argued that the former mayor’s actions were well calculated and formed a recurring pattern of criminal behavior. Additionally, they stated that reducing Pugh’s prison sentence would set the wrong precedent for corruption charges in city government.
“The maximum sentence within the applicable guideline range provides an adequate and just punishment for Pugh’s long-standing pattern of criminal conduct and serves to deter other could-be corrupt politicians from breaching the public’s trust,” they wrote.
In an interview with The News-Letter, Co-President of the Hopkins College Democrats Ryan Ebrahimy agreed with the prosecution’s sentiment. He argued that the City needs stronger guidelines in place to deter fraud in local government.
Ebrahimy stated that allowing Pugh to serve a reduced prison sentence would send the wrong message to the community.
“Public servants should be held to the same standard of justice as other people, in my opinion,” he said. “This leniency is something that is not provided to a lot of other city residents and it’s not a luxury just anyone can obtain.”
However, Pugh’s pleas for a relaxed sentence have been echoed by other members of the community. Kweisi Mfume, the Democratic nominee for Baltimore’s 7th Congressional District, has sided with Pugh.
In a letter addressed to U.S. District Judge Deborah Chasanow — who will sentence Pugh on Feb. 27 — Mfume wrote that his friendship with Pugh dates back to when they were college students together. He asked that the judge consider alternative options to prison.
“In looking at all that you must ponder and consider, I don’t know personally if justice is better served by sending her to jail at age 70, or by mandating instead, that she spend several years under court ordered supervision, voluntarily working with nonprofit service oriented organizations that provide services and assistance to Baltimore’s poor and indigent communities,” he wrote. “This option seems to me at least, to have more value.”
Including Mfume’s, Pugh has had nearly 50 letters submitted on her behalf asking for a reduced sentence.
In an interview with The News-Letter, former President of the Hopkins College Democrats Mikhael Hammer-Bleich contemplated Pugh’s pending prison sentence.
Although he condemned the former mayor’s actions, he argued that one of the more important factors of this trial is how it will impact future city government candidates.
“In some ways it’s much more important to be future looking. Would putting Pugh in jail for five years create enough of a disincentive for future candidates to not do things that are corrupt and negative for the city? If it does, it’s absolutely worthwhile to put her in jail,” he said.
However, Hammer-Bleich also noted that a lengthy prison sentence might not deter future public servants from engaging in illegal behaviors. He asserted instead that there should be procedures set in place to help reduce corruption.
“Maybe that means that all candidates release their tax returns and their financial documents to encourage future candidates to do the same,” he said.
Hammer-Bleich added that although it might be tempting to make an example out of Pugh with a harsh punishment, it will not revitalize the negative impact the scandal has had on the city, noting that Baltimore has already been branded a corrupt city.
The city’s reputation has suffered after a number of other corruption-related issues within local government, including members of the Baltimore Police Department misusing overtime pay, conspiring to sell drugs and robbing citizens.
Ebrahimy agreed with Hammer-Bleich’s sentiments about the need to put into practice anti-corruption regulations, especially because this case has received nationwide coverage.
“I’m sure that any Baltimore City resident is aware of corrupt practices that happen in the city. What was unique about this was that the incident with Pugh was that it was publicly broadcasted immediately,” he said. “This was not only able to capture Baltimore’s interest, but it exposed it around the U.S. It puts more of a spotlight on city corruption as one of the issues they can look for when voting for the next mayor.”
Hoping that voters will reflect on Pugh’s campaign when voting for their next mayor, Ebrahimy explained that the upcoming mayoral race could be impacted. He stated that some of the top issues constituents consider when voting are crime and corruption, but if corruption in local government is prioritized, crime rates have a better chance of decreasing.
Senior Ally Hardebeck additionally argued that the effects of Pugh’s crimes could result in a more conscious vote for the city’s next mayor.
“It’s disheartening to see how this scandal has continued to shake Baltimore residents’ faith in City leadership,” she wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “I hope that the upcoming mayoral election can move the City in a more positive direction. It’s important to hold people accountable for corrupt behavior, but at a certain point we need to focus on addressing other challenges in the City.”
University officials were heavily tied to Pugh’s election campaign, with University administration donations totaling $16,000. These donations allowed the former mayor to reach her fundraising goal on its final day.
Both Hammer-Bleich and Ebrahimy found these donations concerning. Hammer-Bleich noted that with the University’s resources, and its position as one of the largest employers in the state, administrators should look at potential candidates with greater scrutiny.
“Hopkins has a unique position where we can analyze candidates,” he said. “If President Daniels came out and said we need to do a better job of evaluating our candidates, purely on the basis on corruption, I think that voice would carry and that would be good for the City of Baltimore.”
Ebrahimy, however, pointed to the possibility that administrators supported Pugh’s campaign because it aligned with University goals to introduce legislation for a private police force.
Last year, in an email to The News-Letter, then-Vice President for Communications Susan Ridge stated that administrators’ donations to Pugh’s campaign were given as individual contributions, not on behalf of the University.
Still, Ebrahimy stated his opposition against University officials leveraging their wealth to further any agenda. He explained that these large donations indicate issues within current U.S. democracy as a whole.
“I don’t like politics being a game that can be bought to further your own interests,” he said. “There should be a regulatory in place that allows every person to have their voice heard equally.”
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