Former Baltimore mayor sentenced to three years over corrupt children’s book deal

A federal judge sentenced former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh to three years in prison after she pleaded guilty to multiple charges connected to sales of her children’s book Healthy Holly.

Pugh, a 69-year-old Democrat, sold copies of her self-published book to nonprofit organizations in Baltimore for years in an attempt to promote her political career and rake in cash to fund her campaigns. One sale included a no-bid deal with the University of Maryland Medical System for the purchase of 100,000 copies of the book while Pugh served on the system’s board.