Los Angeles City Council President Nury Martinez has named a temporary successor for Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas’ district 10. Karly Katona, his chief of staff, will now lead the district following Ridley-Thomas’ suspension last month.
As a “caretaker” for the district, Katona will not have voting powers, Sophie Gilchrist, a spokeswoman for Martinez, told the L.A. Times.
Katona has spent the last 15 years in public service, according to a district 10 statement. As chief of staff she oversaw all “policy, [programming] and policy issues in the office, with a specific emphasis on homelessness and housing policy.”
Ridley-Thomas was suspended from city council in an 11-3 vote in mid-October, as he faces a 20-count federal indictment with charges of bribery and conspiracy.
The indictment alleges that during his time on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, Ridley-Thomas schemed with a University of Southern California dean to push millions of dollars worth of county contracts to the school.
The arrangement was allegedly a quid-pro-quo arrangement to secure admission to the university for his son. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Katona said the district remains committed to serving all residents, in an email to the L.A.Times, and will continue to address “the diverse needs of constituents” and advancement of “an equity-based agenda that reimagines public safety and community wellbeing.”
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