As per reports, Los Angeles Councilor Mark Ridley-Thomas would immediately withdraw from city council meetings following federal corruption accusations. He has not yet disclosed that he plans on resigning from the position of a city council member. In a letter to the city council, he stated that he intends to fight the accusations and expects to be cleared of those allegations.
Ridley-Thomas would surrender on October 20, 2021, as per ABC7 reports. On October 13, 2021, The United States Attorney’s Office disclosed that erstwhile USC School of Social Work Dean Marilyn Louise Flynn and Ridley-Thomas face an indictment with 20 separate federal corruption charges. The charges are related to a bribery scheme that dates back to his days as a Los Angeles Board of Supervisors member.
Ridley-Thomas reportedly worked with Flynn in the scheme where he benefited much from USC since he supported county agreements and profitable contract changes with that institution as an LA supervisor.
According to the indictment, Flynn granted a family member of the councilor a scholarship that would cover the whole cost of going to college. That family member was thought to be running a nonprofit that channeled campaign funding to USC.
According to the Department of Justice, Ridley-Thomas supported contracts with the USC School of Social Work as a Los Angeles County supervisor as well. President of Los Angeles County Nury Martinez conveyed his disappointment over the allegations against Ridley-Thomas and said that the council might take action against him.
Describing the charges as serious accusations, Martinez stated that the council would have to take the right action against Ridley-Thomas as he was a Board of Supervisors member when the reported crimes happened.
The County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors is also set to vote about whether an independent probe should happen or not.
