2019 college admissions bribery scandal
The 2019 college admissions bribery scandal, often referred to as "Operation Varsity Blue," involved a widespread scheme to secure college admissions for wealthy individuals' children through bribery and fraud. Over fifty people, including notable college sports coaches and celebrities like Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, were charged with various crimes, including conspiracy and racketeering. Central to the scandal was Rick Singer's college admissions prep firm, The Key, which allegedly facilitated the bribery by creating fake application profiles and paying off coaches and exam proctors. The investigation revealed that many prestigious institutions, such as Yale and Stanford, were implicated, with the scandal characterized as the largest of its kind ever prosecuted in the United States.
The revelations prompted significant public outrage and sparked discussions about fairness in college admissions, particularly regarding the advantages that wealth can confer. Key figures, including Singer, entered guilty pleas, while others, like Huffman, received sentences for their involvement. Loughlin and her husband maintained their innocence and faced additional charges. The scandal not only highlighted ethical concerns in higher education but also underscored the complexities of privilege and access within the college admissions process.
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2019 college admissions bribery scandal
In March 2019, federal prosecutors charged more than fifty people with crimes including bribery, fraud, racketeering, and conspiracy after a lengthy investigation into an organized college admissions bribery scheme. Many high-profile individuals, including well-known college sports coaches and Hollywood personalities, were implicated in the scandal. The story made international headlines, in part because famous actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Laughlin were among those charged.
The investigation centered on a college admissions prep firm known as The Key, operated by entrepreneur Rick Singer. According to the allegations filed by federal prosecutors, The Key essentially acted as a front for bribery and money laundering, allowing wealthy individuals to submit donations and other financial considerations in exchange for securing their children’s admission to prestigious colleges. Among other transgressions, The Key apparently created convincing but fake application profiles highlighting fictitious accomplishments. The company is also alleged to have paid off coaches and college admissions exam proctors. Law enforcement officials have described it as the largest college admissions scam ever prosecuted in the United States.
Background
The scandal revolves around Singer’s prep company The Key, which launched operations in 2007 as The Edge College & Career Network. Prior to founding the company, Singer worked as a high school sports coach before transitioning into a career in college admissions counseling. He founded his first admissions-related venture, Future Stars College & Career Counseling, in 1992. Singer later sold the business and worked in the corporate world until 2004, when he created a new admissions company, CollegeSource.
Court filings show that Singer divided The Key into two separate operational entities: The Key, a for-profit limited liability corporation (LLC) that provided college admissions test prep and student counseling services, and the Key Worldwide Foundation, a nonprofit organization with tax-exempt status. Singer apparently used the Key Worldwide Foundation to launder donations and use them to bribe examination proctors, college sports coaches, and college admissions officials. According to multiple media sources, the Key Worldwide Foundation took in approximately $25 million between 2011 and February 2019 before federal prosecutors stepped in and halted its operations. Their investigation directly or indirectly implicated more than 750 families and numerous prestigious institutions, including Yale University, Stanford University, Georgetown University, Wake Forest University, the University of San Diego, the University of Texas, the University of Southern California, and the University of California, Los Angeles.
The scheme’s operations took several forms, including the outright bribery of admissions officials, who levied favorable admissions decisions in exchange for financial payments. In other cases, ACT and SAT examination proctors were paid off to give test-takers the correct answers to exam questions, correct their wrong answers, or allow other individuals to take the test in another person’s place. The Key Worldwide Foundation also exploited college athletics programs, enticing coaches to classify otherwise unqualified candidates as sports recruits so their applications could be evaluated according to different, more lenient criteria. In some cases, the applicants did not even participate in the sports they were apparently being recruited to play at the college level.
Overview
News of the scandal broke on March 12, 2019, when federal prosecutors laid their first wave of charges against more than fifty defendants. Singer was among the individuals charged that day, and he immediately pleaded guilty to money laundering, racketeering, and obstruction of justice.
Huffman, Loughlin, and Loughlin’s multimillionaire fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli were also among those charged in March 2019. Their involvement vaulted the story to viral status and made headlines around the world. Huffman and Loughlin made their first court appearances on April 3, 2019, the same day a Southern California entrepreneur charged in connection with the case became the first accused parent to plead guilty. Huffman agreed to plead guilty on April 8, 2019, telling reporters that her daughter knew nothing about her actions.
Loughlin and Giannulli, despite facing immense pressure to admit their guilt, entered pleas of not guilty during a court appearance on April 15, 2019. Allegations against them contend that Loughlin and Giannulli spent approximately $500,000 to have their two daughters admitted to the University of Southern California as fraudulent rowing crew recruits. Neither daughter has ever participated in competitive rowing.
Most of the sports coaches charged in the case have pleaded guilty or been removed or suspended from their positions pending internal investigations. Among the coaches implicated in the scandal are Georgetown University tennis coach Gordon Ernst, Yale University women’s soccer coach Rudolph Meredith, and Stanford University sailing coach John Vandemoer. Ernst’s indictment alleged that he received more than $2.7 million in bribes, while Meredith is accused of pocketing more than $1 million in illegal funds. Vendemoer apparently accepted more than $600,000 in payoffs.
Singer was scheduled to be sentenced on September 19, 2019, but proceedings were delayed for unspecified reasons. As of October 2019, Singer remained out of prison on a $500,000 bond. Apart from statements made in court, Singer has publicly maintained silence, denying repeated interview requests.
On September 13, 2019, Huffman was sentenced to fourteen days in jail after admitting to paying $15,000 to have her daughter’s SAT scores favorably rigged. She was also ordered to complete 250 hours of community service and pay fines totaling $30,000. Huffman was released from prison on October 25, 2019, after serving eleven days of her sentence.
Loughlin and Giannulli have maintained their innocence since news of the scandal first broke and have refused to yield to ongoing pressure to plead guilty. On October 22, 2019, the prosecution added new conspiracy charges against the couple, and they could face up to fifty years in prison if they are found guilty on all charges. Media reports also claimed that their daughters attempted to leave the University of Southern California after their parents were charged, but the school placed their student accounts on hold to prevent their official withdrawal. Loughlin and Giannulli are scheduled to go to trial in 2020, and some legal experts have opined that their two daughters could also face criminal charges in connection with the scandal.
Bibliography
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Bonner, Mehera, Amanda Lundgren and Starr Bowenbank. “Lori Laughlin’s Daughters, Olivia Jade and Bella, Could Face Charges, According to a Former Federal Prosecutor.” Cosmopolitan, 1 Nov. 2019, www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/a26809360/college-cheating-scandal-timeline-lori-loughlin-felicity-huffman/. Accessed 4 Nov. 2019.
Dickson, E.J. “Who Is Rick Singer, the Mastermind Behind the College Admissions Scam?” Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2019, www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/rick-singer-college-admissions-scam-807736/. Accessed 4 Nov. 2019.
Durkin, Erin. “U.S. College Admissions Scandal: How Did the Scheme Work and Who Was Charged?” The Guardian, 13 Mar. 2019, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/12/college-admissions-fraud-scandal-felicity-huffman-lori-loughlin. Accessed 4 Nov. 2019.
Falconer, Rebecca. “William Singer Admits Running $25 Million College Bribery Scam.” Axios, 13 Mar. 2019, www.axios.com/alleged-college-scam-ringleader-guilty-1552444059-0d1ce7bf-82e9-4e98-ad91-c635fefc627a.html. Accessed 4 Nov. 2019.
Friedman, Zack. “30 Fast Facts About the College Admissions Scandal.” Forbes, 18 Mar. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2019/03/18/30-facts-college-admissions-scandal/#5170887712a0. Accessed 4 Nov. 2019.
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“Timeline: The Major Developments in the College Admissions Scandal.” Axios, 22 Oct. 2019, www.axios.com/college-admission-scandal-operation-varsity-blues-51e66764-23b2-4539-ba05-d55740939c46.html. Accessed 4 Nov. 2019.