The Feds Gave Baltimore Mayor A No Knock!

Baltimore city mayor Catherine Pugh is under federal watch after they allegedly claim she used state funds to publish her books.

The mayor of Baltimore Catherine Pugh is under federal watch.

The FBI and state authorities raided her homes, her businesses and city hall.

The mayor is facing calls to resign after she became embroiled in a corruption scandal.

The IRS and FBI had a no knock. Dave Fitz, a spokesman to the FBI confirmed agents that the Baltimore FBI office and the Washington DC IRS office were executing search warrants at those locations Thursday morning, as well as at least three other addresses associated with the mayor.

It will be a federal watch of state officials and Pugh's activities.

Maryland's Republican governor Larry Hogan is calling for Pugh to step down. Pugh placed herself on a leave of absence since the investigation was launched about a month ago.

"Today, agents for the FBI and the IRS executed search warrants at the mayor's homes and offices. Now more than ever, Baltimore city needs strong and responsible leadership. Mayor Pagh has lost the public trust. She is clearly not fit to lead. For the good of the city, Mayor Pugh must resign."

Hogan is considering a primary challenge against Donald J. Trump for the Republican nomination.

Pugh, the Demcoratic mayor of the city replace Stephanie Rawlings Blake, the predecessor who allowed Baltimore break out in unrest during the Freddie Gray tragedy.

The feds are looking into the matter involving the mayor using funds to publish her books.

Pugh was at home at the time of the raids.

The Maryland Office of the State Prosecutor had ordered an investigation into Pugh.

Pugh wrote a book called, Healthy Holly, a children book which saw inflated sales. The book series went through the University of Maryland Medical System while she was on its unpaid board of directors.

Pugh's attorney Steven Silverman who also had his offices raid maintains innocence.

"We will continue to vigorously defend the mayor, who is entitled the presumption of innocence."

The medical system confirmed federal prosecutors had sent it a subpoena.

"The University of Maryland Medical System had received a grand jury witness subpoena today from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland seeking documents and information from UMMS in order to conduct their investigation of Mayor Pugh. We are fully cooperating with the investigative process," said Michael Schwartzberg, a spokesman for the hospital network, in an email.

The Baltimore Sun also has obtained information that the Maryland Center for Adult Training was raided as well. Pugh once lead the nonprofit job training program and it has listed online as board three Pugh staffers, Gary Brown, Jr., Poetri Deal and Afra Vance-White. They had their properties raided as well.

Acting mayor Bernard C. Young (aka Jack) said he has fired the three mayoral staffers out the cannon.

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake faced calls to resign after the Baltimore riots. Her successor Catherine Pugh is facing calls to resign after the feds did a "no knock" on her home.

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) said that Baltimore needs to get their.....well you know.

"I urge Mayor Pugh to put the best interest of the city and its residents first and foremost. Baltimore needs and deserves leadership that is above reproach and which can lead the city forward in ways that engender the trust and confidence of all essential stakeholders. No one questions Mayor Pugh's passion for Baltimore city and its citizens. At the same time, the circumstances now require that she also provide an example of accountability for those same people. We all want her health to be restored and to now focus on these very grave matters that have everything to do with her personal business endeavors and nothing to do with the priorities of the city of Baltimore."

Pugh isn't the first Baltimore mayor under federal watch. The last one was Sheila Dixon. In 2008, Dixon became the first mayor in the city's history to be indicted. She was convicted and soon resigned.

Pugh hasn't been indicted yet. But if she does, she is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

What she is facing is misleading the IRS, misuses of city funds, wire fraud and unauthorized use of state and city property. These charges are felonies and it could put her in federal time out for up to 30 years.

Hell if she does get this type of sentence, I will be pissed.

Because if folks like Michael Cohen can get a measly five years for stuff like this and Pugh (a woman of color) being handed hefty bids, then I say the criminal justice system only favors Whites over Blacks.

Baltimore is the largest city in Maryland. Baltimore is an independent city. It has a population of 604,000 residents. The region is within 40 miles of Washington, DC and 106 miles of Philadelphia.