Ridley-Thomas, ex-USC dean vow they will be cleared of federal conspiracy, bribery charges

Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, indicted earlier this week connected national conspiracy and bribery charges, declared the allegations “wrong” and vowed to disprove them connected Friday, Oct. 14, via a connection from his attorney, Michael J. Proctor.

“Mark Ridley-Thomas was shocked by the national allegations leveled against him, and with bully reason,” Proctor said. “They are wrong, and we look guardant to disproving them. At nary constituent successful his vocation arsenic an elected authoritative — not arsenic a subordinate of the City Council, the State Legislature, oregon the Board of Supervisors — has helium abused his presumption for idiosyncratic gain. Mark Ridley-Thomas has been successful nationalist work for 30 years, and his actions person been unfastened to nationalist scrutiny for a afloat 3 decades. Over those 30  years, helium has demonstrated the prime of his character. We inquire you to let owed process to instrumentality its course.”

The 20-count indictment filed successful Los Angeles national territory tribunal alleges that Ridley-Thomas conspired with Marilyn Louise Flynn, erstwhile dean of USC’s School of Social Work, who agreed to supply Ridley-Thomas’ lad with postgraduate schoolhouse admission, a full-tuition assistance and a paid professorship. She besides allegedly arranged to funnel a $100,000 donation from Ridley-Thomas’ run funds done the assemblage to a nonprofit to beryllium operated by his son, according to the indictment.

In exchange, the indictment alleges, Ridley-Thomas supported contracts involving the School of Social Work, including contracts to supply services to the region Department of Children and Family Services and Probation Department, arsenic good arsenic an amendment to a declaration with the Department of Mental Health that would bring the schoolhouse millions of dollars successful caller revenue.

Flynn’s attorneys — Vicki Podberesky and Brian Hennigan — besides vowed that their lawsuit would beryllium vindicated.

“Marilyn Flynn has devoted her full nonrecreational beingness to the tract of societal work.,” they said successful a connection released Thursday. “She has spent implicit 45 years successful academia and has worked tirelessly for the betterment and betterment of the societal payment web successful Los Angeles and astir the country. Ms. Flynn has not committed immoderate transgression and we judge that the grounds successful this lawsuit volition yet enactment this conclusion.”

Ridley-Thomas, 66, and Flynn, 83, of Los Angeles, were informed of the indictment Wednesday day and person agreed to look for their arraignments successful Los Angeles national tribunal successful the coming weeks, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Ridley-Thomas’ relation connected the City Council was uncertain arsenic of Thursday. Ridley-Thomas was primitively scheduled to seat a call–in gathering Thursday of the Homelessness and Poverty Committee that helium chairs, but the gathering was canceled.

The City Council gathering scheduled for Friday was besides cancelled, according to a announcement posted connected the L.A. City website. No caller gathering dates were posted connected the site.

Council President Nury Martinez did not contented immoderate authoritative connection connected Ridley-Thomas’ presumption connected Thursday.

“While the alleged crimes took spot portion Mr. Ridley-Thomas sat connected the Board of Supervisors, these charges are superior and the assembly volition request to instrumentality due action,” Martinez said, but she offered nary details connected what that enactment mightiness include.

When past City Councilman Jose Huizar was arrested successful June 2020, the City Council voted to suspend him, leaving his unit to service arsenic caretakers for the district. Kevin de León was aboriginal appointed to capable the seat.

At an lawsuit successful North Hollywood connected Thursday morning, Councilman Paul Krekorian told reporters, “We person the people’s businesses to bash successful the council, and these sorts of issues erstwhile they travel up, astatine a minimum, are tremendously distracting to the captious enactment that we person to bash astatine City Hall.”

Mayor Eric Garcetti, astatine that aforesaid event, called the charges a superior substance and said anyone who violates the instrumentality should beryllium prepared to wage the consequences. But helium reserved judgement connected Ridley-Thomas.

“If the allegations are existent — radical are complicated. They tin bash bully things and atrocious things. I person surely witnessed the galore bully things Mark Ridley-Thomas has done,” Garcetti said.

At slightest 1 chap assembly subordinate has called for Ridley-Thomas’ resignation.

“I americium shocked, saddened and disgusted by the national bribery charges against Mark Ridley-Thomas,” Councilman Joe Buscaino, besides a campaigner for mayor, posted connected Twitter Wednesday. “These charges tarnish the estimation of the full LA City Council, and due to the fact that of that, Ridley-Thomas should instantly measurement down from his position.”

Ridley-Thomas, who has served successful high-profile roles successful the assemblage for 3 decades, is 1 of Los Angeles County’s astir influential elected officials.

Mere weeks ago, Ridley-Thomas and his woman were connected manus arsenic the caller Avis & Mark Ridley-Thomas Wellness Center was dedicated successful their grant connected the field of Charles R. Drew University.

He has served successful varied elected roles, including 3 presumption connected the City Council successful the 8th territory from 1991 to 2002 and connected the Board of Supervisors, representing the 2nd District, from 2008 to 2020. He attended L.A.’s Manual Arts High and earned a baccalaureate grade successful Social Relations and a master’s grade successful Religious Studies from Immaculate Heart College, arsenic good arsenic a Ph.D. successful Social Ethics and Policy Analysis astatine USC.

Ridley-Thomas spent 10 years arsenic enforcement manager of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Los Angeles, opening successful 1981.

The councilman follows 2 different L.A. metropolis councilmen to beryllium indicted since aboriginal 2020.

Ex-City Councilman Mitchell Englander, who represented the council’s northwest San Fernando Valley seat, pleaded blameworthy to 1 felony complaint past year, portion admitting helium plotted to forestall national investigators from learning astir currency and different freebies helium received from a Southern California businessman. In an enactment the sentencing justice called an “elaborate and clandestine scheme,” Englander was sentenced successful January to 14 months successful national situation for lying to national authorities astir his dealings with the businessman who provided him $15,000 successful concealed currency payments and a nighttime successful Las Vegas.

And erstwhile City Councilman Huizar pleaded not blameworthy successful December to bribery and different national charges aft helium was indicted connected racketeering charges alleging helium took astatine slightest $1.5 cardinal and different benefits from developers who sought favorable attraction astatine City Hall. His proceedings is acceptable for May.

SCNG staffers Ryan Carter and Elizabeth Chou and City News Service contributed to this report.