Mark Ridley-Thomas is expected to plead “not guilty” in federal court today – Daily News

Los Angeles City Councilor Mark Ridley-Thomas is expected to plead not guilty in a federal judge’s courtroom on Wednesday, October 20, after he was charged last week with a district officer conspiring with a USC official in order to obtain favorable district contracts the school in exchange for a job and an apprenticeship position for a relative.

Ridley-Thomas, 66, has described the charges, which were brought on October 13 in a 20-point indictment, as “outrageous” and vowed through his attorney to fight them when he was told of his duties on the podium resigns where he represents the 10th LA Council District.

The city council is scheduled to appear in front of Judge Rozella A. Oliver at the US courthouse downtown via Zoom. Since Ridely-Thomas is not yet in federal custody, he will “appear” on a subpoena directing him to appear in court, officials said. There will likely be a discussion today about possible borrowing and custody.

Marilyn Louise Flynn, 83, the former dean of the USC School of Social Work, is expected to be charged Monday on Monday on the same charge. Flynn has also dismissed the charges through her attorney.

The two are accused of drafting an agreement four years ago in which Ridley-Thomas supported contracts with the School of Social Work, including contracts for the provision of services for the Children’s Ministry, in exchange for his relative’s admission to the school’s graduate program of the County and Family Services and Probation Department; and a contract change with the Department of Mental Health that would bring the school millions of dollars in new income.

The indictment also records a series of meetings and agreements at which a handful of unnamed university and county officials were involved in a contract process that alarmed county officials that the board of directors was on Tuesday to investigate all such service contracts with the county. The Board itself signed the disputed contracts in the Ridley-Thomas case.

Ridley-Thomas, a mammoth figure in LA area politics for decades, vacated his board seat last year to run for a city council seat he won.

The city council is due to consider the suspension of Ridley-Thomas today. If the city council is suspended, Los Angeles Controller Ron Galperin said he would cut Ridley-Thomas’ salary and benefits.

Ridley-Thomas is the third LA councilman since March 2020 to be indicted after federal investigations into allegations of misconduct related to public duties.

Former Alderman Mitchell Englander, who represented the northwest seat of the council in the San Fernando Valley, pleaded guilty to a crime last year and admitted planning to prevent federal investigators from finding out about cash and other freebies received from a Southern California businessman. In what the judge called an “elaborate and secret scheme”, Englander was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison in January for lying to federal authorities about his dealings with the businessman who gave him $ 15,000 in secret cash payments and one night in Las. was made available by Vegas.

And former city councilor Jose Huizar pleaded not guilty to bribery and other federal charges in December after being charged with extortion for taking at least $ 1.5 million and other benefits from developers seeking favorable treatment at town hall. His trial is scheduled for May.