(Headline USA) Federal prosecutors have launched a criminal investigation into the finances of Baltimore’s top prosecutor and her husband, who is city council president.
The Baltimore Sun reported Friday that it obtained a grand jury subpoena seeking business records for State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and City Council President Nick Mosby, including tax returns, bank and credit card statements and other financial documents.
One subpoena was issued to Marilyn Mosby’s campaign treasurer and requested records tracing back to 2014, some related to the Mosbys’ private travel and consulting businesses.
Marilyn Mosby has been a high-profile prosecutor who has aligned herself with radical social-justice activists, even while throwing her own city’s law-enforcement under the bus.
She rose to national prominence in 2015 when she pursued criminal charges against six police officers in the death of Freddie Gray, a black man who suffered a broken neck while in police custody, triggering riots and protests. All of the officers charged were ultimately acquitted.
But she is also the latest in a line of powerful leaders to face criminal investigation related to corruption in the historic Maryland city—whose reputation has been under fire lately.
Former Mayor Catherine Pugh resigned in disgrace a year ago after federal authorities raided her home and office in an embezzlement scheme involving children’s books.
Former Rep. Elijah Cummings, who died last year, and with his wife, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, also weathered persistent allegations of bribery and abuse of office.
During a high-profile dispute with Cummings that took place largely over Twitter, then-President Donald Trump suggested that the chair of the House Oversight Committee, rather than spending his hours on specious subpoenas, would be wise to look after his own district.
Trump called Baltimore a “rat-infested hell hole,” provoking indignant backlash from some and muted nods of assent from others.
Ironically echoing Trump’s frequent complaints against Cummings, the Mosbys’ attorney, A. Scott Bolden, called their investigation a witch hunt.
He said he advised the pair not to speak publicly but added that they are cooperating with investigators.
“My clients are progressive change agents, making them unfair targets of unnecessary scrutiny by federal investigators. Nevertheless, I can assure you and the people of Baltimore, they have done nothing illegal, inappropriate or unlawful,” he said in a statement.
The investigation comes as their financial dealings have fallen under scrutiny in recent months. In October the IRS filed a $45,000 tax lien on their home for three years of unpaid taxes. Nick Mosby said the tax issues resulted from early withdrawal from his retirement savings plan to deal with a series of family tragedies.
Last month the city’s inspector general issued a report saying that Marilyn Mosby took two dozen trips in 2018 and 2019 without receiving prior approval.
The trips included international travel to Kenya, Germany and Portugal. Marilyn Mosby said she had no obligation to seek approval because nonprofit groups paid for the travel. But the inspector general said six of the trips, costing about $4,000 total, were paid for in full or in part by taxpayers.
The city solicitor issued his own opinion saying he found no fault in Mosby’s actions.
Two churches also told the Sun they received subpoenas asking whether Nick Mosby had made contributions to them.
Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press
