African American leaders in Los Angeles swiftly responded to the March 30 announcement of seven guilty counts in the federal corruption trial of former Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas.
Jurors in Mark Ridley-Thomas’ federal corruption trial reconvened for a fourth session of deliberations on Wednesday, March 29, as they decide whether the suspended L.A. City Councilman is guilty of steering lucrative county contracts to USC’s school of social work in exchange for a slate of benefits for his son.
A former dean of the USC School of Social Work has agreed to plead guilty to a federal bribery charge in a political corruption case involving suspended Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas.
Members of the Los Angeles City Council continue to question whether City Controller Ron Galperin had the legal authority to cut Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas’ pay and benefits after Ridley-Thomas was suspended from the council last year, with the latest motion filed on August 9 by Councilman Curren Price.
In the midst of the months-long controversy regarding the authorized representative for Council District 10, Herb Wesson has remained totally focused on delivering services for the area’s constituents.
Since 1963, when Tom Bradley defeated Joe E. Hollingsworth to become the first African American elected councilmember of the 10th District, the seat has always been seen as a Black seat.
A former dean of the School of Social Work at USC is expected to be arraigned today on federal corruption charges in an alleged bribery scheme involving City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas that resulted in the university receiving lucrative county contracts.
Marilyn Louise Flynn, 83, is expected to plead not guilty via Zoom in Los Angeles federal court to charges that she conspired with Ridley-Thomas when he was a member of the Board of Supervisors. Flynn’s attorney, Vicki I. Podberesky, said her client “has not committed any crime, and we believe that the evidence in this case will ultimately support this conclusion.”
City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas was suspended from office by a divided Los Angeles City Council today, hours before he entered a not-guilty plea to federal bribery and conspiracy charges stemming from his time serving on the county Board of Supervisors. Ridley-Thomas did not attend the downtown Los Angeles arraignment hearing in person, but entered his plea via video. A status conference in his case was set for Nov. 1, and a tentative trial date of Dec. 14. In a statement, the councilman’s attorney, Michael Proctor, said, “Today marks Day One of due process for Mark Ridley-Thomas.” “While some have rushed
#LA Councilmember Ridley-Thomas Hosts Panel on L.A.’s Street Engagement Strategy