BALTIMORE (WMAR) — Several State and City leaders are reacting to the Wednesday federal indictment of former Mayor Catherine Pugh.
RELATED: Former Mayor Catherine Pugh indicted on federal wire fraud charges
Here are their full statements.
Governor Larry Hogan:
“The people of Baltimore, and all Marylanders, should be able to have confidence in the honesty and character of the people they elect to office. It is completely unacceptable anytime a public official violates the public trust. That’s why I pledged to put an end to business as usual, clean up the mess, and restore integrity in government. Our efforts have resulted in the enactment of sweeping ethics reforms, and hundreds of indictments. We will continue to fight hard to root out corruption and wrongdoing wherever it takes place.”
Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones:
"Baltimoreans are resilient and, once again, we will pick ourselves up and keep moving forward. But, make no mistake, this was an abuse of public trust at a time when the City needs leaders to be bold and transparent.
As leaders, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard – putting the needs of the public above our own. Today, I stand with the people of Baltimore to look toward a brighter future. We will continue to fight for better schools and better jobs for the people of our flagship city."
Baltimore City Council President and Mayoral Candidate Brandon Scott:
"With today’s announcement, it’s clear that elected officials who violate the public trust will be held accountable. This is a message to anyone considering elected service. You don't get into public service to become rich. You do it to help people. Baltimore faces a crisis of crime and a crisis of trust. We must recommit ourselves to cleaning up city government and addressing the life and death issues in our neighborhoods. We can do that now by implementing ethics reforms and laying out clear plans to reduce violence. Most importantly, as elected leaders, we must take responsibility for reducing crime and cleaning up city government. Leaders take responsibility. And that's what I will continue to do working together with my colleagues on the City Council."
Former Maryland Deputy Attorney General and Baltimore Mayoral Candidate, Thiru Vignarajah:
“This will be a hard day for Baltimore. We need this to be the final line of a chapter in Baltimore history, too often defined by public corruption and criminal indictments. The next chapter is ours to write, and it must be a story of unprecedented transparency and accountability.”
Former BPD and Baltimore County Spokesman and Baltimore Mayoral Candidate, T.J. Smith:
"This is another unfortunate embarrassment for the city of Baltimore. Sadly, it distracts from the other real concerns we have in our city. Instead of focusing on violence reduction, educational investments, business growth, and community development, we are once again talking about someone in a leadership role being investigated and charged with corruption. This, hopefully, is the beginning of closure in a sad chapter in Baltimore's history. I am confident that better days lie ahead for Baltimore. We deserve ethical leadership who we can trust and is above reproach."
To read more on the Healthy Holly scandal, click here.
