Jury begins deliberations in corruption trial of suspended L.A. Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas
Mark Ridley-Thomas is going to trial for federal corruption charges over an alleged wire fraud scheme involving USC's social work school.Jurors who will decide the fate of suspended L.A. City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas in his federal corruption trial were handed the case on Friday morning, following the conclusion of the prosecution's rebuttal argument.
Daralyn Durie, one of Ridley-Thomas' lawyers, told the panel in her argument that the government's case against her client "was fundamentally about optics" and that the investigation was "not thorough enough." Prosecutors contend the politician wanted to provide the money to support his son's nonprofit, but didn't want the funds linked to him or his campaign. So he agreed to provide the money to Flynn, who sent $100,000 in university funds to the nonprofit, known as the Policy, ResearchFlynn and Mark Ridley-Thomas concealed the arrangement from USC, knowing it would have violated university policy, prosecutors said.
"Funneling the money was legal under campaign finance law," Amram told the jury, adding that none of the $100,000 "went into Sebastian's pocket."Dotson on Thursday said Mark Ridley-Thomas "monetized" and abused the power of his office and lied to cover it up in order to give his son an alternate story for why he resigned from the Assembly -- and save the family name.
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