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Baltimore, Md., Mayor Catherine E. Pugh, 69, enjoyed a long career in politics before resigning earlier this year in a scandal. As a state senator, Pugh pushed organizations to buy large quantities of her self-published books for children — allegedly in exchange for state or city contracts, or other favors, and used the resulting money to fund her campaigns and buy a house. A Democrat, Pugh is now facing federal charges of fraud, conspiracy, tax evasion, and more. Prosecutors say she sold around 100,000 books in one transaction alone, but only around 63,000 copies of her books have ever been printed; after selling them, she would simply sell them again and again, since the buyers didn’t actually want them. Her longtime aide has already pleaded guilty to similar charges. Pugh ran her mayoral campaign on the theme that she had “more integrity” than her main opponent, Sheila Dixon. (RC/Washington Post) ...Well that’s an awfully low bar.