August 29th 2023.
Former Los Angeles City Council member Mark Ridley-Thomas was recently sentenced to three and a half years in prison for corruption. This follows his being found guilty of seven felonies, including bribery and fraud, as he had carried out a scheme to ensure his son's acceptance at the University of Southern California. As part of the scheme, he had promised to funnel millions in government dollars to the institution in return.
U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada stated that “when elected leaders engage in acts of corruption, our community suffers immense damage” and that Ridley-Thomas had “engaged in a corrupt conspiracy with a university dean to steer taxpayer-funded contracts to the school in exchange for benefits for his son.”
This has been a major blow to the longtime politician who had been a vocal advocate for civil rights issues in the city and a leading figure in times of racial unrest. In addition to his mandatory prison time, Judge Dale S. Fischer also ordered Ridley-Thomas to pay a $30,000 fine.
At his sentencing, the former councilman apologized to his family and other supporters in the courtroom. He stated his regret, but also stood firm on the legality of his actions, claiming that “this case exists somewhere between what is clearly legal conduct on one end, and clearly illegal conduct on the other.”
Ridley-Thomas is not going down alone, as Marilyn Louise Flynn, who served as dean of USC’s School of Social Work, was also charged for her role in the $100,000 scheme and sentenced to a year and a half of home confinement.
Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, the son at the center of the case, has not been charged, even though he was the benefactor of the funds. He was awarded a $26,000 graduate scholarship to attend USC and a $50,000 salary to teach at the institution, as well as $100,000 received by his organization.
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