Los Angeles Politician Responsible On Federal Corruption Expenses

Not all nepotism is authorized; it seems.

Democratic Metropolis Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas of Los Angeles discovered this out the laborious method final week when he was discovered responsible of seven felonies, together with bribery and fraud. In an obvious scheme to assist guarantee a scholarship for his son to the College of Southern California and employment within the type of a educating job, Ridley-Thomas promised to funnel hundreds of thousands in authorities {dollars} to the establishment.

The jury’s choice marks the top of an in any other case storied profession for the councilman identified for his involvement in civil rights and racial points. “When elected leaders have interaction in acts of corruption, our group suffers immense harm. Ridley-Thomas engaged in a corrupt conspiracy with a college dean to steer taxpayer-funded contracts to the college in change for advantages for his son,” U.S. Lawyer Martin Estrada stated in an announcement. The dean in query is Marilyn Flynn, who pleaded responsible to at least one rely of bribery final yr, for her half in concocting a plan to ship $100,000 of the promised funds to a nonprofit run by Councilman Ridley-Thomas’ son.

Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, on the time, was a state assemblyman till 2017, when he resigned amongst allegations that he made undesirable sexual advances towards a Capitol employees member. His group acquired $100,000, and he was awarded a $26,000 graduate scholarship to attend USC and a $50,000 wage to show on the college. Although this was a violation of the college’s coverage, the college allowed it because of the promise made by his father. That is no shock to many because the College of Southern California was one of many many establishments named within the admissions dishonest scandal through which rich mother and father handed their kids off as star athletes and stellar college students to get them into colleges they in any other case wouldn’t have been eligible for.

Ridley-Thomas was suspended in October 2021 after he was charged within the case. USC was not accused of any wrongdoing.