Los Angeles Metropolis Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas filed a lawsuit Thursday in search of to have a decide strike down town’s resolution to minimize off his pay whereas he fights federal corruption prices.
In his submitting, Ridley-Thomas referred to as the choice by Metropolis Controller Ron Galperin to terminate his pay and well being advantages “unauthorized, illegal and politicized.” Galperin introduced a bid for state controller three months after chopping off Ridley-Thomas’ wage, the lawsuit says.
Galperin “acted unilaterally to terminate Councilmember Ridley-Thomas’ compensation with a view to additional his personal political ambitions,” the councilman mentioned in his lawsuit.
Galperin, who didn't make the runoff within the state controller’s race, declined to remark. Final yr, he mentioned he took motion to cease funds to Ridley-Thomas after the council voted to droop the councilman, stripping him of his duties within the wake of corruption prices.
“Whereas Ridley-Thomas has had a few years of honorable public service, I can't use metropolis cash to pay the wage of an elected official going through federal bribery and fraud prices who's now legally unable to do his job,” Galperin mentioned on the time. “The individuals of Los Angeles deserve higher from their authorities leaders.”
Council members earn about $225,000 yearly, in keeping with a Galperin aide. Ridley-Thomas pleaded not responsible to bribery, fraud and conspiracy prices final yr.
Trial within the corruption case is about for November. In his lawsuit, Ridley-Thomas mentioned he's barred underneath metropolis legislation from in search of exterior earnings whereas he fights the costs. He additionally contends that Galperin’s actions violated the Metropolis Constitution, town’s governing doc.
An order from the courtroom would “undo such a flagrant abuse of authority,” the lawsuit states.
Rob Wilcox, a spokesman for Los Angeles Metropolis Atty. Mike Feuer, mentioned town’s attorneys would evaluation the lawsuit and had no further remark.
Ridley-Thomas, a former state legislator and county supervisor, was elected to the Metropolis Council in 2020 to characterize the tenth District, which stretches from Koreatown to the Crenshaw Hall in South Los Angeles.
In October, prosecutors publicly accused him of steering public funds to USC in trade for having the college admit his son Sebastian into the graduate faculty with a full scholarship and a paid professorship.
The council suspended Ridley-Thomas quickly afterward. In February, council members tapped former Councilman Herb Wesson to function the district’s non permanent voting consultant till Dec. 31.
Below that association, Wesson would step down sooner if Ridley-Thomas was discovered to be not responsible or the costs towards him have been dropped.
The Southern Christian Management Convention of Southern California, together with district voters, filed a authorized problem in search of to strike down the appointment of Wesson, saying he's barred underneath time period limits from returning to Metropolis Corridor. Final week, a decide concluded that these plaintiffs have a probability of prevailing of their case, issuing an order briefly barring Wesson from representing the district.
Galperin has a observe document of chopping off the pay of council members. He suspended Wesson’s wage final week, within the wake of the decide’s ruling.
In 2020, Galperin terminated the pay of then-Councilman Jose Huizar, after Huizar was charged with racketeering, bribery and fraud in a sprawling Metropolis Corridor corruption case. Huizar, who represented downtown and a part of the Eastside, pleaded not responsible. His trial is about for subsequent yr.
Again within the tenth District, Ridley-Thomas’ lawsuit is simply the most recent signal of tumult. Wesson fired the highest two aides to Ridley-Thomas earlier this yr.
Whereas Wesson is sidelined, chief of workers Heather Hutt is serving because the district’s non permanent nonvoting caretaker.
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