During the media frenzy outside Mayor Catherine Pugh’s Ashburton home as FBI and IRS investigators completed a raid, one onlooker could be heard cheering the feds on as agents carried out heaps of evidence.
“Your ass got silver bracelets coming, baby,” he enthused, suggesting Pugh would eventually be arrested.
As the agents loaded up their car, he got even more giddy.
“More boxes! Boxes and boxes!” he shouted. “Boxes and boxes, look at this! Yes! The federal government–spending my money well.”
The moment was captured in this Twitter video posted by The Sun‘s Colin Campbell.
UPDATE: FBI agents just left Pugh’s house on Ellamont Road in Ashburton with boxes of evidence. pic.twitter.com/VCFWaJnNyL
— Colin Campbell (@cmcampbell6) April 25, 2019
Campbell later caught up with the man, Jeff Davis, who said the number of boxes seemed to suggest there was ample evidence against the mayor.
There are currently a number of investigations into Pugh and her “Healthy Holly” children’s books, which she sold to the University of Maryland Medical System while she was on the organization’s board and to other firms. In total, she took in $800,000.
Davis told Campbell he would like for Pugh to be innocent, but if she is eventually found guilty, he hopes the penalty is more than a slap on the wrist.
“But if you break the law in Baltimore–when I did, I was in silver bracelets,” he said. “She deserves the same punishment.”
Jeff Davis, who lives up the street, was the one hollering “BOXES AND BOXES” and “SILVER BRACELETS” as the feds raided Pugh’s house this morning.
“I just think she needs to go to jail if she broke the law.” pic.twitter.com/7wI4RUu1zK
— Colin Campbell (@cmcampbell6) April 25, 2019
All seriousness aside, Davis’ commentary added a hilariously absurd element to the long, sordid saga that still hangs like a cloud over the city. Baltimore Beat‘s Lisa Snowden-McCray (full disclosure: a friend of mine) recognized this and encouraged her Twitter followers to make sure they watched Campbell’s clip with the sound on.
PLEASE LISTEN WITH THE SOUND ON https://t.co/mf4o3sWYsa
— Lisa Snowden (@LisaMcCray) April 25, 2019
And she also put out a call for someone, anyone to use the audio in a Baltimore club song.
Whomst among us will make a Baltimore club song around this guy saying boxes and boxes?
— Lisa Snowden (@LisaMcCray) April 25, 2019
Thankfully, producer James Nasty came through, giving us the glorious “Boxes and Boxes.” The song starts with the raw audio of Davis as he watches the agents, and then turns the “boxes and boxes” phrase into an anthemic club chant. Nasty slides in a thumping beat with reworked siren bleeps, making this already amazing video a true banger.
Do yourself a favor and give it a listen.
Producer Shawn Smallwood also shared a short clip of a still-in-the-works track he was putting together. We’ll look for a finished product to post.
— Montell Jordan Belfort (@HoodHedgeFunds) April 25, 2019
The whole “Healthy Holly” scandal is an embarrassment for Baltimore, and there’s still so much uncertainty about how things will unfold. When will Pugh resign? Are the feds going to bring charges? How can local government fix so many of Baltimore’s problems amid this crisis of leadership?
But at least we are able carry on with this great video and its bumping counterpart.
Just Thank You for this!