Marilyn Flynn, former dean of the University of Southern California (USC) School of Social Work, pleaded not guilty Oct. 25 to federal charges of bribery and fraud in a scheme involving Los Angeles City Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas. On Oct. 13, Ridley-Thomas and Flynn were indicted on 20 counts of bribery and fraud for allegedly conspiring to provide Ridley-Thomas’ son with benefits including admission, a full scholarship, and a paid professorship in exchange for Ridley-Thomas’s support of contracts that would generate millions in new revenue for the school. Ridley-Thomas and Flynn also allegedly came up with a “mechanism to funnel Ridley-Thomas campaign funds through the university to a non-profit to be operated by the relative,” according to a statement by the U.S. Attorney. When Ridley-Thomas approached Flynn about the deal, the School of Social Work was facing a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, putting the school, as well as Flynn’s position, in jeopardy, …
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