Just over a week after the FBI and IRS raided her Maryland home and City Hall office, the Democratic mayor of Baltimore, Catherine Pugh resigned in disgrace Thursday after selling copies of her children’s book to companies doing business with the city.
As with what happened last week, the CBS Evening News completely ignored the story, which made national headlines. The only resignation they were interested in Thursday evening was the one Democrats were calling for from Attorney General William Barr. Spanish-language networks Telemundo and Univision also left Mayor Pugh's resignation out of their national evening newscasts.
“A growing number of Democrats, including a dozen presidential candidates, are now calling on Barr to resign after just three months on the job,” hyped CBS' chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes.
ABC's World News Tonight anchor David Muir omitted Pugh’s party affiliation in a fleeting news brief lasting only 13 seconds:
And the Mayor of Baltimore tonight has resigned under pressure. Catherine Pugh was under investigation for a children's book she wrote and then sold to companies with business before the city. Last week, FBI and IRS agents raided her City Hall office and her home.
Last week, fill-in anchor Tom Llamas was the one hiding Pugh’s party ID:
And back here at home, federal agents swept into homes and offices connected to Baltimore's mayor today. FBI and IRS agents were seen going into city hall and leaving her home, as well, with boxes and other materials. Mayor Catherine Pugh is under fire for a book she wrote and then sold to companies with business before the city and to a hospital when she was a board member. Calls for her to resign are mounting.
Disappointingly, NBC Nightly News didn’t mention the new development in the story. Last week, Justice correspondent Pete Williams delivered a full report, noted Pugh was a Democrat, and shared the bipartisan calls for her resignation.
“Baltimore's entire city council has urged Mayor Pugh, who is a Democrat, to quit. And today, Maryland’s Republican Governor, Larry Hogan tweeted, ‘For the good of the city, Mayor Pugh should resign,’” Williams reported at the time.
The transcript is below:
ABC’s World News Tonight
May 2, 2019
6:43:07 p.m. EasternDAVID MUIR: And the Mayor of Baltimore tonight has resigned under pressure. Catherine Pugh was under investigation for a children's book she wrote and then sold to companies with business before the city. Last week, FBI and IRS agents raided her City Hall office and her home.
