LOS ANGELES, CA — Attorneys for former Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas asked an appellate court Wednesday to rehear his case, arguing that the panel's earlier decision unfairly expands federal bribery law and potentially exposes public officials across the district to prosecution for ordinary political activity.
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.
Last month, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena upheld the fraud and bribery convictions.
Ridley-Thomas is now asking the appellate court to rehear his case in front of a full panel of 11 judges.
His attorneys argue that the August ruling puts the Ninth Circuit in conflict with other federal appellate courts that have rejected similar efforts to transform "intangible political or professional benefits" into federal bribery.
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.
Federal prosecutors said the donation to the son's United Ways- sponsored Policy, Research & Practice Initiative was part of Ridley-Thomas' effort to help his son, Sebastian. The son had resigned from the state 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, 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.
Ridley-Thomas served on the Los Angeles 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."
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