Rival urges Parks to quit MTA post

State Sen. Mark Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) called Friday on Councilman Bernard C. Parks, his opponent in the race for county supervisor, to resign from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board because he allegedly accepted more than $21,000 from contractors who do business with the agency.

“Bernard Parks demonstrates a flagrant disregard for ethics and the law,” Ridley-Thomas said in a statement. “He shows callous disrespect to hard-working taxpayers seeking ethical leadership on vital mass transit projects for all county residents.”

Steve Barkan, a campaign consultant working for Ridley-Thomas, said his campaign will file a complaint next week with the MTA’s inspector general.

“We have done nothing wrong and would be interested in seeing Mr. Ridley Thomas identify these $21,000 contributions with more specificity,” said Bernard Parks Jr., the councilman’s chief of staff.