Lawyer For Nick and Marilyn Mosby Blasts Federal Investigation Into Finances As Supporters Rally at City Hall
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby was back on the job Monday—in his first appearance since the revelation of a federal criminal investigation into him and wife Marilyn Mosby, the city state's attorney.
A lawyer representing Marilyn and Nick Mosby again defended his clients against a federal criminal investigation into their finances, which remains underway. "We're going to fight until the end on this one," said A. Scott Bolden.
Also Monday, Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby made his first public appearance since the revelation of the investigation into him and his wife Marilyn Mosby, the Baltimore City State's Attorney.
At a working virtual city council luncheon, the council president was optimistic. "It gets me excited for the next three-plus years as it relates to working with each and every one of you," he told colleagues.
WJZ has obtained one of the subpoenas sent by the U.S. Attorney's office to Marilyn Mosby's campaign treasurer. It asks for numerous financial records including tax returns from 2014 through 2020. The subpoena also asks for cancelled checks, receipts and credit card and loan statements.
The subpoena is signed by Leo Wise, the same federal prosecutor who handled the investigation into former Mayor Catherine Pugh, who is now in prison for her "Healthy Holly" self-dealing scandal.
"It's laughable," Bolden, an attorney representing the Mosbys, told Roland Martin on his digital show "Unfiltered."
Bolden, in a statement to WJZ last week, called the federal investigation a "political witch hunt."
"What it ultimately gets at is these are two high profile African American politicians. They are progressive change makers," Bolden told Martin.
"This investigation—we believe—was started under the Trump Administration," Bolden said. "We hope to end it under the Biden Administration."
Bolden criticized the investigation as an "inappropriate use of federal resources like empaneling a criminal grand jury for two public officials who quite frankly don't make enough money to have a criminal investigation about them."
WJZ has confirmed through tax records the Mosbys also recently purchased two homes in Florida at a total cost of slightly more than one million dollars.
On that issue, Boldin told WJZ in a new statement, "So what? Ms. Mosby, recently purchased a condo and a second home that she rents out when she is not there. So what?! Mrs. Mosby earns a salary, has savings, a lender and a credit score—all to support her family and she has a legitimate ability to purchase properties and invest her money anyway she chooses. She is no different than anyone else who do [sic] or have done the same. This should not be news, nor does it merit a federal investigation. So what?!"
The City's Inspector General recently investigated Marilyn Mosby's travel expenses at Mosby's request. The IG obtained tax records including for private businesses Mosby created. Mosby claimed in excess of five thousand dollars in expenses while also saying those businesses had not made any money.
You can read the investigation here.
Read more on the inspector general report here from our coverage.
"They have not created a slush fund. The companies aren't generating any revenue," Bolden said in the interview with Martin. He also criticized reported subpoenas to churches that received donations from the Mosbys.
Supporters of Nick and Marilyn Mosby gathered in front of City Hall Monday evening. They criticized the media and the federal prosecutors, calling the investigation a "witch hunt" and "character assassination" against the Mosby family.
The office of Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott issued its first statement on the matter Monday evening.
"The mayor is aware of the pending investigation but is rightfully focusing his energy on addressing the urgent challenges facing Baltimoreans," said Mayor Scott's communication director Cal Harris.
Also on Monday, Governor Larry Hogan called the investigation "very troubling."
He told reporters, "This federal investigation sounds pretty serious. Obviously, we've got to get to the bottom of it."
No charges have been filed against the Mosbys. The U.S. Attorney's office does not comment on pending investigations.
