Baltimore [USA]: Succumbing to weeks of mounting pressure owing to a corruption scandal, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh resigned on Thursday (local time).
“Today I am submitting my written resignation to the Baltimore City Council. I am sorry for the harm that I have caused to the image of the city of Baltimore and the credibility of the office of the mayor,” the statement by her lawyer read.
“Baltimore deserves a mayor who can move our great city forward,” it added.
The announcement came days after Baltimore City Council called for Pugh to resign amid a scandal over a major purchase of children’s books she authored by the University of Maryland Medical System and other groups, reported CNN.
Last month, Pugh took a leave of absence, citing a battle with pneumonia. Her lawyer told reporters that she was too ill to make decisions.
Pugh is the second mayor of Baltimore to resign in disgrace in recent years. In 2010, Mayor Sheila Dixon resigned as part of a plea deal reached with prosecutors after being found guilty of a misdemeanor embezzlement charge, reported the Hill.
Acting Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young will take over Pugh’s post until the next election in 2020.
[source_without_link]ANI[/source_without_link]