Catherine Pugh

Former Mayor of Baltimore, forced to resign under pressure due to scandal [28][29]

What is Catherine Pugh known for?

Catherine Pugh, born Catherine Elizabeth Crump in Norristown, Pennsylvania on March 10, 1950, is a notable American politician and alumnus of Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Raised in Philadelphia with seven siblings, Pugh graduated from Overbrook in 1967 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.

Pugh's political career began in earnest in 1999 when she was elected to the Baltimore City Council. She subsequently served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland Senate, even taking the role of Majority Leader from 2015 to 2016. Despite a setback in 2011 when she lost a mayoral primary to Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Pugh persevered and won the mayoral election on November 8, 2016, with 57% of the popular vote. She assumed office on December 6, 2016, marking the third consecutive term for a female mayor in Baltimore.

However, her tenure as mayor was marred by controversy. Named in a scandal involving a "self-dealing" book arrangement, where organizations purchased large quantities of Pugh's books in exchange for contracts with the city, Pugh took a leave of absence in April 2019. As the scandal escalated, Pugh resigned from her mayoral position on May 2, 2019.

Later that year, in November, Pugh was indicted by a grand jury on eleven counts, including tax evasion, fraud, and conspiracy related to her controversial book transactions. The following day, Pugh signed a plea agreement, admitting guilt on four charges of conspiracy and tax evasion. Subsequently, on February 27, 2020, she was sentenced to three years in prison, followed by three years of probation. As of January 26, 2022, Pugh had been released from federal prison in Alabama and transferred to a Baltimore halfway house.

Despite her fall from grace, Catherine Pugh left an indelible mark on Baltimore's political history and stands as a notable figure among Overbrook High School's illustrious alumni.