Los Angeles Councilor Mark Ridley Thomas And Former USC Dean Indicted On Bribery Charges
Los Angeles City Councilor Mark Ridley Thomas was indicted Wednesday on federal charges of accepting bribes from a dean of USC in exchange for millions of dollars in public funding directed to the university while he was in the Los Departmental Supervisory Board.
Ridley Thomas is accused of conspiring with Marilyn Louise Flynn, then dean of USC's School of Social Work, to channel money from the county to the university in exchange for her son Sebastian's admission to the university. university with a scholarship and a paid teaching position.
Ridley Thomas, 66, one of Los Angeles' most powerful figures in politics, is the third member of Los City's city council to face federal corruption charges in the past two years. In a 20-count indictment, he and Flynn face allegations of conspiracy, bribery, and mail and telematics fraud.
The alleged bribe scheme is the latest in a string of scandals that have tainted USC's reputation in recent years.
The former head of a medical school has been discovered to be a user of methamphetamine, heroin and other drugs, and the longtime campus gynecologist has been accused of sexual misconduct by hundreds of former students, which led to a settlement of $ 1 billion, the largest payment for sexual abuse. in the history of higher education.