Jury deliberations begin in Mark Ridley-Thomas trial
Jury deliberations began Friday in the trial of suspended Los Angeles City Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas. The long-time L.A. politician was accused of a months-long corruption scheme involving former Dworak-Peck School of Social Work Dean Marilyn Flynn.
During closing statements, United States Attorney Lindsey Greer Dotson said the trial was “a case about power, privilege and lies.” Prosecutors worked to convince jurors that Ridley-Thomas’ scheme was long premeditated, while defense denied all wrongdoing, stating that “what happened at USC was legal.”
Courtesy Rosa Trieu/Neon Tommy
The councilmember faces 19 counts, including charges of fraud, bribery and conspiracy. The state alleged that Ridley-Thomas worked with Flynn to provide benefits for the councilmember’s son, Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, at Dworak-Peck. The younger Ridley-Thomas, a former member of the state assembly, recently resigned from his post after a sexual harassment investigation.
The state also alleged that the elder Ridley-Thomas approved various measures as councilmember as part of his conspiracy with Flynn, including a very favorable telehealth contract for Dworak-Peck, and pressured other councilmembers to vote in favor of the measures. In exchange, the younger Ridley-Thomas would allegedly get a full-tuition scholarship to a graduate program in social work and public administration, as well as a guaranteed paid professorship. The defense argued that these contracts were well underway before the harassment probe against the younger Ridley-Thomas, and that the elder Ridley-Thomas had already intended to support some measures in favor of Flynn.
While the younger Ridley-Thomas became a professor at Dworak-Peck in Spring 2018, he was fired later that summer. However, he still obtained a full-tuition scholarship for his graduate studies.
The elder Ridley-Thomas also funneled more than $100,000 in University funds to his son’s nonprofit organization, the Policy, Research & Practice Initiative, prosecutors alleged. Authorities say Flynn and Ridley-Thomas conspired to hide their scheme from the University, as it violated its policies. Flynn has already pleaded guilty for a count of bribery regarding this money.
Defense attorney Galia Amram defended Ridley-Thomas’ actions, stating that the money did not go to his son, and that the money was funneled legally. While Aram acknowledged the poor optics of the move, “the way it looks … does not make it illegal,” she said.
The two-week-long trial was widely publicized due to Ridley-Thomas’ position as a prominent municipal politician. The L.A. City Council suspended his position in 2021 after the charges were brought forth, but he has yet to resign.