Ridley-Thomas Co-Defendant to Plead Guilty Monday in Bribery Case

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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A former dean of the USC School of Social Work is set to plead guilty Monday to a federal bribery charge in a political corruption case involving suspended Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley- Thomas.

Marilyn Louise Flynn, 83, admitted that she bribed Ridley-Thomas -- at the time a member of the county Board of Supervisors -- by funneling $100,000 from his campaign account through the university to a nonprofit operated by his son, Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, according to her plea agreement signed Thursday in L.A. federal court.

In exchange, prosecutors say Ridley-Thomas voted in favor of a lucrative county contract for the USC School of Social Work.

Ridley-Thomas, who has denied any wrongdoing, is charged with one count each of conspiracy and bribery, two counts of honest services mail fraud and 15 counts of honest services wire fraud. He is expected to go on trial Nov. 15.

In exchange for her guilty plea, prosecutors are expected to recommend that Flynn serve about a year of home confinement and pay a fine of at least $100,000, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

There was no immediate word of whether Flynn -- who was dean of the School of Social Work at USC for 21 years until her departure in 2018 -- will testify against Ridley-Thomas in his trial. She had originally been facing the same slate of federal charges as Ridley-Thomas.

Ridley-Thomas was suspended from the Los Angeles City Council following the federal indictment last October.


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