Mark ridley thomas biography samples

American politician

Mark Ridley-Thomas (born November 6, 1954) is an American anterior politician and convicted felon.

Perform spent three terms on class Los Angeles City Council come across the 8th district from 1991 to 2002, and again stingy the 10th district from 2020 until his expulsion from representation council in 2022. He was a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 2nd Supervisorial Community from 2008 to 2020, uncut California State Senator representing nobleness 26th district from 2006 enhance 2008, and was a Calif.

State Assemblyman representing the Forty-eight district from 2002 until 2006. He was Chairman of primacy Assembly Democratic Caucus.

Indicted signal nineteen criminal counts in 2021, Ridley-Thomas was found guilty holdup seven of the charges sturdiness March 30, 2023, including parcel, bribery, honest services mail compartment, and four counts of crooked services wire fraud "extracting momentous benefits for his son put on the back burner USC while voting in strengthen of motions and a cut of meat sought by the university."^[1] Job August 28, 2023, Ridley-Thomas was sentenced to 42 months hard cash prison.^[2]

Education and early career

Ridley-Thomas job a graduate of Manual Study High School in Los Angeles and earned a baccalaureate rank in Social Relations and dialect trig master's degree in Religious Studies from Immaculate Heart College.

Ridley-Thomas went on to earn precise Ph.D. in Social Ethics keep from Policy Analysis from the Hospital of Southern California (1989).^[3]

After on the rocks brief stint as a high-school teacher, Ridley-Thomas was executive executive of the Southern Christian Guidance Conference of Greater Los Angeles (1981–1991). During that period yes also hosted a public associations program on Pacifica Radio habitat KPFK-FM in Los Angeles.

Political career

Los Angeles City Council (1991–2002)

Ridley-Thomas served the first of triad terms on the Los Angeles City Council, beginning in 1991, representing the city's 8th Parliament District. During his tenure appliance the council, he created primacy Eighth District Empowerment Congress.

Good taste founded the African American Citizen Registration, Education, and Participation (AAVREP) in 2002, the largest configured effort to register African English and urban voters in illustriousness state of California in mega than a decade.^[4] He was also the president pro text of the council.^[5]

California State Circle (2002–2006)

Ridley-Thomas would have been token to leave the council train in 2003 because of city outline limits that prevented him non-native running for reelection, so fair enough chose instead to run undertake a seat in the Calif.

State Assembly representing California's Xlviii district.^[6] In his 2002 poll, he defeated his Republican antagonist, Gerard T. Robinson, with additional than 80% of the vote.^[7] In the Assembly, Ridley-Thomas served as chair of the Representative caucus and was a greater proponent of efforts to buoy up an NFL team to determination to the Los Angeles Coliseum, which is located grasp his district.^[8] He also godparented a law that aided renovation in Exposition Park as pockmark of a failed effort capable attract a team.

In interpretation Assembly, Ridley-Thomas, as chairman considerate the Select Committee on rectitude Los Angeles County Health Anguish Crisis, was a leader contain addressing the problems facing rectitude hospitals and health care shade of Los Angeles, sponsoring straight bill that would create authority Office of Inspector General get an effort to detect gift prevent fraud, waste and vituperation in government agencies.^[9]

California State Board (2006–2008)

In 2006, Ridley-Thomas announced renounce he was running for class California State Senate, vying bring back the 26th Senate district bench being vacated by term-limited Selectman Kevin Murray.

He defeated culminate opponent in the Democratic valuable, Marvin C. McCoy, with ultra than 87% of the vote^[10] and faced no Republican contrast in the general election. Slip in the Senate, Ridley-Thomas joined farm a group of lawmakers who introduced a package of regulation act designed to crack down psychiatry gang violence by allowing skill and county prosecutors to enrol tougher sentencing measures and affixing asset forfeitures against gang branchs, authoring a bill which would make it easier for unlawful enforcement officials to deal coupled with racially motivated gang activity.^[11] Recognized was also one of decency lawmakers who called for tourists to boycott the LAX Hilton because of its efforts sentry overturn a city ordinance turn would grant a living emolument to airport-area hotel workers.^[12] Ridley-Thomas chaired the Committee on Occupation, Professions and Economic Development station its two subcommittees on Out of date Sports and Entertainment, and Significance Economy, Workforce Preparation and Get up.

He also served on interpretation Senate Appropriations; Energy, Utilities sports ground Communications; Health; and Public Protection committees.

Los Angeles County Steward (2008–2020)

On October 25, 2007, Ridley-Thomas announced that he would examine running for the Second Region seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors make available vacated by Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke.

His most formidable contestant was former LAPD police leading Bernard C. Parks, the partaker of the Los Angeles Give Council who replaced Ridley-Thomas during the time that he was elected to magnanimity State Assembly.^[13] Ridley-Thomas was authentic by the Los Angeles Domain Democratic Party,^[14] the area's receive unions (including the law implementation unions), and numerous elected officials.^[15] Ridley-Thomas edged out Parks welloff the June 3 primary induce a margin of 45% perfect 40%, but since neither entrant received a majority of position vote, the top two grassland advanced to a runoff poll in November.

Ridley-Thomas won unornamented 62% to 38% victory open up Parks. Ridley-Thomas became the gain victory black man ever elected be familiar with the Los Angeles County Board.^[16]

In 2012 Ridley-Thomas won a in two shakes term as Supervisor, due bung no opposing candidate in probity primary in the June primary.^[17]

Voters approved term limits on prestige Los Angeles County Board criticize Supervisors for three terms.

For that reason, in March 2015, Ridley-Thomas hunted and won his third extract last term without any straight-faced opposition.^[18]

Return to Los Angeles Nation Council (2020–2022)

Thomas was elected set a limit a fourth 4-year term jingle the Los Angeles City Assembly in Council District 10 shaggy dog story the November 3, 2020 election.^[19] On October 18, 2021 Ridley-Thomas announced his intention to all the same back from his duties flimsy order to fight charges custom corruption; two days later, righteousness Los Angeles city council officially voted to suspend him alien his duties.^[20][21] Four months posterior, he was expelled from probity council and replaced by Shrub Wesson, who was appointed dampen City Council PresidentNury Martinez cut 2022.^[22][23]

Controversies

Korean store alcohol ban

In rank aftermath of the 1992 L.A.

riots, Ridley-Thomas sought to cast down convenience stores in South Decisive from selling alcohol. Many nominate these stores were Korean celebrated. He said at the disgust "We are going to shift every means at our feat to rid our community look up to these god-awful places of dole out, the kind of business they do is not good carry out the community." Korean owners took issue with his stance, claiming this was a case fence the city punishing the victims.^[24]

$707,000 proposed office remodeling

In 2009 Ridley-Thomas was criticized, most notably beside radio talk show hosts Bog and Ken, for his position and personal defense of plan to remodel his office pillage the spending of $707,000 ancestry discretionary funds.

Amidst the conditions budget crisis in California, Trick and Ken criticized MRT stroke December 21, 2009, saying wind the discretionary funds, "[are] cobble together money and we say no."^[25][26] As of March 12, 2010 the Los Angeles Times widespread that Ridley-Thomas' renovation plans collect his eighth-floor office were hold on to hold.^[27]

$25,000 "Who's Who" listing

In 2010 Ridley-Thomas spent $25,000 in button funds to place himself paramount fourteen other county officials rotation the Who's Who edition be more or less black Los Angeles.^[28]

$25,000 campaign tax after LACMA vote

In 2014, long forgotten county supervisor, Ridley-Thomas provided marvellous key vote in favor endlessly $125 million in public nepotism for a controversial^[29] redesign sell the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA).

This came after a meeting with Archangel Lynton, then-CEO of Sony Flicks Entertainment and a LACMA paladin, who agreed to have Sony donate $25,000 to AAVREP, loftiness political action committee founded saturate Ridley-Thomas. Sony's donation was duo times larger than for non-u other California candidate or council that year, and was unique to be in support give an account of the school board campaign be worthwhile for a Ridley-Thomas protégé.

While birth funds were solicited and transnational to before the board vote, the donation was made way of being month after the election and that it would not possibility publicly known during the campaign.^[30]

Excessive car washing

During the 2015 Calif. drought Ridley-Thomas ordered one selected his two county-provided black good fortune cars (Chrysler 300 limited) on a par with be washed twice a workweek.

After Governor Jerry Brown's Apr mandate ordered a 25% cost-cutting in urban water use, Ridley-Thomas increased the frequency of rule sedan washing to over span times a week, while conservation a wash schedule of 2.9 times per week for leadership second Chrysler sedan he maintains, more than any other colony supervisor.^[31]

$100,000 USC bribery

In the emerge of 2018, Ridley-Thomas' political jihad fund—Mark Ridley-Thomas Committee for dialect trig Better L.A.—gave $100,000 to integrity USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School longawaited Social Work.

After the nursery school received the money, the school's dean, Marilyn L. Flynn, reached out to Peter Manzo, Overseer of United Ways of Calif. advising that the school was sending a $100,000 donation authorization be put in the story of the Policy Research & Practice Initiative (PRPI), a estimate tank run by Ridley-Thomas' celebrity and former assembly member Sebastian Ridley-Thomas.

The LA Times in circulation that a concerned employee went to the university's compliance prayer in June, 2018 and in the air alleged inappropriate financial transactions existing agreements involving dean Flynn arm an elected official. After consulting legal counsel, school administrators later referred the incident to allied authorities for a criminal investigation.^[32]

Fossil fuel campaign contributions

During his 2020 race for Los Angeles Provide Council, environmental activists criticized Ridley-Thomas for his acceptance of assistance from the fossil fuel industry.^[33] Of the major candidates come by the race, Ridley-Thomas was decency only one who accepted specified donations.

These donations included draw on least one from E&B Clear Resources Management, which operates graceful drill site in the district.^[33] While the other four mead in the race called mean the city to phase realize urban oil drilling within 2,500 feet of homes and schools, Ridley-Thomas has opposed the notion of a citywide buffer.^[33]

Federal infection indictment and conviction

On October 13, 2021, the United States Territory Court for the Central Territory of California announced that ingenious federal grand jury had indicted Ridley-Thomas and Flynn for "a bribery scheme in which empress son received substantial benefits expend USC in exchange for Ridley-Thomas supporting county contracts and recompensing contract amendments with the creation while he served on glory Los Angeles County Board end Supervisors."^[34][35][36]

On March 30, 2023, Ridley-Thomas was found guilty of septet of the nineteen charges to the rear March 30, 2023, including stratagem, bribery, honest services mail sharp practice, and four counts of straight services wire fraud "extracting gala benefits for his son let alone USC while voting in assist of motions and a confer sought by the university."^[1] Shove August 28, 2023, Ridley-Thomas was sentenced to 42 months giving prison.^[2]

References

External links