The corruption cases that have rocked Los Angeles city politics in recent years have been greeted with a familiar set of reactions: public disgust, condemnation by elected officials, urgent calls for reform. But in the days since a jury found former city councilman Mark Ridley

-Thomas guilty of bribery, conspiracy and fraud charges,

some of

of the city

political leaders have given

offering a distinctly different type of response

honors instead of contempt

.

Mayor Karen Bass described Ridley-Thomas, a friend and ally

for

over 40 years, as a “thought leader” who had made a huge impact on the city. Steve Soboroff, who sits on the Board of Police Commissioners, tweeted his appreciation for Ridley-Thomas’ work. State Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) issued a statement detailing Ridley-Thomas’ performance, omitting that the veteran politician had just been convicted of

multiple crimes

.

“The Mark Ridley-Thomas I know is the tireless champion, the relentless advocate, the unstoppable force,” wrote former City Councilman Mike Bonin, who represented the Westside for nearly a decade.

the

praise

of LA civic leaders, so soon after the 12-member jury delivered its guilty verdict,

serves as proof

the vast base of friendship and political support that Ridley-Thomas has amassed over his three decades in elected office while serving on the council, in the state legislature, and on the county board of supervisors.

Those responses are also a departure from

the

mockery

which largely hailed the guilty pleas of former city councilors Jose Huizar and Mitchell Englander,

like

David Wright

the former head of the Department of Water and Power all

goals of

federal prosecutors in recent years.

Supporters described Ridley-Thomas’ departure from the LA political scene as a blow to the city and the communities he represented.

Sometimes their comments sounded more like memories of a retirement party than a response to a criminal trial.

Community leaders pointed to Ridley-Thomas’ work launching the Empowerment Congress, which brought South LA residents together to champion their interests. They highlighted his commitment to reform in the Los Angeles Police Department. And they praised his success in reopening the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital, closed after years of neglect.

Those achievements, combined with his deep ties to the community, help explain why so many were shocked by the verdict, said Rev. William D. Smart Jr., president and chief executive of the Southern California Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

“It was not meant to be like this,” he said. “Everyone just thought he’d be acquitted because he’s a hero.”

Part of that fear is now directed at the prosecution. Smart recently described the case as a US government runaway of another black man. Another South LA minister suggested it was a political witch hunt. Talk show host Tavis Smiley, who appears on radio station KBLA 1580, took aim at the Justice Department, saying in an editorial that “black people’s hunting season is always open.”

A few voices begin to oppose that story and the characterization of Ridley-Thomas as a hero or victim.

Former Councilman Bernard C. Parks, who lost to Ridley-Thomas in the race for county supervisor in 2008, said the conviction does not detract from Ridley-Thomas’ legislative achievements. But it tarnished Ridley-Thomas’ overall legacy, Parks said.

“Mark Ridley-Thomas wasn’t appointed because he’s black or because he was too successful,” said Parks, who served on the council for 12 years. “He has been charged and convicted of several serious crimes.”

Prosecutors have sought to refute claims of bias, noting that Ridley-Thomas’ co-defendant in the case was Marilyn Flynn, the former dean of USC’s social work school, who is white and lives in Los Feliz. Flynn, 84, pleaded guilty in September and awaits sentencing.

Ridley-Thomas will be sentenced on August 14. A representative of his defense team said he plans to appeal the verdict.

The jury found Ridley-Thomas guilty of seven of 19 felony counts, finding that he had colluded with a USC dean to support a contract with the university while also arranging special benefits at USC for his son, former assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas. Ridley-Thomas was a member of the County Board of Supervisors at the time.

Prosecutors alleged that the benefits Sebastian received included access to USC’s School of Social Work, a full-tuition scholarship, a part-time job as a USC professor, and the routing of a $100,000 from the Ridley-Thomas voting committee through the college to a non-profit that his son ran. Jurors acquitted Ridley-Thomas of honest services fraud allegations related to the scholarship and professorship

But

convicted him of fraud counts related to

$100,000 via USC to Sebastian’s non-profit organization.

The jury’s forewoman told The Times that the evidence related to the $100,000 donation formed the basis of the bribery and conspiracy convictions.

Leading up to the trial, longtime supporters of Ridley-Thomas generously contributed to his legal defense, providing vital financial assistance after the previous city manager stripped him of his salary and benefits. Friends, family and former colleagues filled the courtroom during the nearly three-week trial, with some making repeat visits.

Councilman Curren Price, who also represents part of South LA, came to court for a half day.

eminently

Prominent public intellectual Cornel West sat in the front row for closing arguments

.

Cynthia McClain-Hill, chair of the five-member council overseeing the Department of Water and Power, also appeared, as did a

procession

from former Ridley-Thomas staffers.

Defense attorneys told the jury there was no need to bribe Ridley-Thomas, as the USC initiatives he supported as county supervisor were already part of his longstanding policy agenda. They said it is beyond the power of a single provincial regulator to corruptly direct contracts to any group, given the need for a three-vote majority for such decisions.

To bolster their case, they called as witnesses two of his former colleagues: supervisor Janice Hahn and former supervisor Sheila Kuehl, both allies of Ridley-Thomas during his time on the board.

The defense team went through three Board of Supervisors-approved points raised in the case, each asking Hahn, “Did our client, Dr. Mark Ridley-Thomas, pressure you in any way to support this proposal? to vote?”

“No,” replied Hahn.

On the witness stand, Kuehl said she also felt no pressure from Ridley-Thomas. When asked about her support for a remote psychiatric clinic run in partnership with USC, she said, “I’m confident it would help the kids.”

Kuehl and Hahn’s brief questioning ended up being a bit of a red herring. Prosecution did not allege that Ridley-Thomas pressured his colleagues on the board to vote in any way. Instead, they claimed he obtained benefits for himself and his son from a USC dean who wanted to go to the front lines on lucrative provincial business, and later voted for that company.

Some of Ridley-Thomas’ colleagues testified that they knew nothing about his dealings with Flynn. Still, the performances of Kuehl, Hahn, and others served a defense counter-narrative: that Ridley-Thomas had a track record of serving impoverished black and brown communities and that he garnered the trust and respect of colleagues and staff.

Yet another defense witness was Karly Katona, who spent 12 years in his county office before becoming his chief of staff at city hall. After the trial, Katona told The Times that Ridley-Thomas felt a personal responsibility to deliver for his constituents, especially those in long-neglected neighborhoods.

Ridley-Thomas constantly toured his district, visiting parks and libraries on weekends and sometimes calling staffers when he found conditions that weren’t up to par, Katona said.

It was never a 9-to-5 job for him, Katona said. I know this because I was on the phone with him most evenings and Sunday mornings at 10pm and on the street with him.

Ridley-Thomas returned to City Hall in 2020 after an 18-year absence and immediately took a leadership role in the council’s efforts to tackle homelessness. By then he had already spearheaded the passage of Measure H, which expanded services for the county’s displaced persons.

Political adviser Dermot Givens, who lives in the former Ridley-Thomas municipal district, said it’s not hard to see why Ridley-Thomas is getting such a wave of sympathy. Over the course of his career, he has achieved “exceptional good”, he said.

What makes the case tragic, Givens said, is that the case stems from Ridley-Thomas’ efforts to help his son. Ridley-Thomas, who had so many friends and allies, could have contacted someone else, he said.

“They brought it on themselves,” said Givens, who also works as a lawyer.

Soboroff, the police commissioner, said he believes Ridley-Thomas should face legal ramifications for his actions. But for Soboroff, the belief doesn’t overshadow the good works Ridley-Thomas has done over the decades.

The error is an asterisk to me, Soboroff said.