A federal appellate panel in Pasadena has upheld former Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’ fraud and bribery convictions, according to court papers obtained Tuesday.
Ridley-Thomas was convicted in 2023 in downtown Los Angeles on federal counts of conspiracy, bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds, and honest services mail and wire fraud. He was subsequently sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison but the judge granted the longtime politician’s bid for bail pending appeal.
The convictions in Los Angeles federal court were based on a scheme in which Marilyn Flynn, then dean of USC’s School of Social Work, facilitated a $100,000 donation of university funds to a nonprofit that employed Ridley-Thomas’ son in exchange for the then-supervisor’s voting in favor of a telehealth contract between the county and USC.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena held Monday that the district court did not err in denying Ridley-Thomas’ bid for acquittal for his honest service fraud convictions. The funneling of $100,000 from Ridley-Thomas to USC to United Ways for his son’s benefit was a “thing of value” sufficient to support the convictions, the panel determined.
Federal prosecutors said the donation to the son’s United Ways-sponsored Policy, Research & Practice Initiative was part of Ridley-Thomas’ effort to help son Sebastian. The son had resigned from the California Assembly in December 2017 amid a sexual harassment probe.
Flynn pleaded guilty to bribing Ridley-Thomas and was sentenced in July 2023 to 18 months home confinement and ordered to pay a $150,000 fine.
“Ridley-Thomas’ request for Flynn’s assistance occurred while the Telehealth amendment hung in the balance, awaiting approval from the Board of Supervisors,” the appellate panel said. “Flynn’s assistance with the $100,000 cash transfer through USC for Sebastian’s benefit was an impermissible string attached to Ridley-Thomas’ support of the Telehealth amendment.”
Ridley-Thomas could now ask for a review of his appeal by a full panel of 9th Circuit judges.
Ridley-Thomas, now 71, was a suspended member of the Los Angeles City Council at the time he was convicted.
Evidence showed that Flynn provided Ridley-Thomas and his son benefits, including graduate school admission to pursue a dual master’s degree, a full-tuition scholarship, a paid professorship and a way for Ridley-Thomas to transfer $100,000 of his campaign funds through the university to the nonprofit.
In exchange, prosecutors said, Ridley-Thomas supported contracts involving the Social Work School, including contracts to provide services to the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services and the Probation Department, as well as an amendment to a contract with the Department of Mental Health that could help bring the social work school potentially millions of dollars in new revenue.
By secretly “funneling” the money through USC, Ridley-Thomas and Flynn attempted to disguise the true source of the $100,000 payment to make it appear as though USC, not Ridley-Thomas, was the benefactor supporting Ridley-Thomas’ son and the nonprofit. Defense attorneys said the defendant wanted his money transferred this way to avoid negative publicity stemming from the appearance of nepotism.
Ridley-Thomas served on the L.A. City Council from 1991-2002, then was a member of the Assembly and state Senate before being elected to the powerful county Board of Supervisors in 2008, serving until 2020. He then returned to the City Council until he was suspended by his council colleagues in October 2021 and permanently removed following his conviction.
“The entire community has been victimized by the defendant’s crimes,” U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer said during the August 2023 sentencing hearing, adding that Ridley-Thomas “has committed serious crimes, has not accepted responsibility and has shown no remorse.”