A California real estate developer has been sentenced to six years in federal prison after admitting to bribing a Los Angeles County official with cash, concert tickets, and other benefits in exchange for help securing approval for a major residential project. The developer, David Lee, pleaded guilty to participating in a pay-to-play scheme involving former county supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and ex-USC School of Social Work Dean Marilyn Flynn. Lee sought to influence Ridley-Thomas by funneling money through USC to benefit Ridley-Thomas’s son as a way to gain support for his real estate interests.
Federal prosecutors say the scheme represents a broader pattern of corruption that has plagued Los Angeles politics in recent years. Lee’s sentencing marks one of the latest developments in a string of public corruption cases tied to land development and university resources being used for political gain. The Department of Justice stated that such actions seriously undermine public trust in government institutions and called the sentence a warning to others in positions of power.
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