Former USC Official Pleads Guilty to Fraud in College Admissions Scandal
“She did the honorable thing and took responsibility for her actions today”
This scandal has been playing out for months, and people are still being charged.
CNN reports:
Former USC official pleads guilty to a fraud charge tied to college admissions scandal
A former athletics official at the University of Southern California pleaded guilty Friday in an admissions scandal for allegedly helping students cheat their way for acceptance into the prestigious college.
Donna Heinel, who was USC’s senior associate athletic director, pleaded guilty to one count of honest services wire fraud as part of a plea agreement, prosecutors said in a news release Friday.
“She did the honorable thing and took responsibility for her actions today,” Nina Marino, Heinel’s attorney, told CNN in a phone interview.
Heinel is one of two USC athletic directors alleged to have been involved in a racketeering conspiracy to cheat prospective students’ admission into the university. She was fired in March 2019 over her alleged role in the scheme.
At least 50 people — including Hollywood stars, top CEOs, college coaches and standardized test administrators — were accused of taking part in the scheme to cheat on tests and admit students to leading institutions as athletes, regardless of their abilities.
William Rick Singer, the plot’s accused mastermind, allegedly told prospective clients that he created a “side door” for wealthy families to get their children into top US colleges. Singer was paid roughly $25 million by parents to help their children get into the schools, the US attorney said.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
One down, thousands more to go.
I seriously question the wisdom of allowing the Athletics Dept to have a formal say in admissions decisions. It would be ok if they wrote letters of recommendation on behalf of recruits, but they should not have a seat at the table when decisions are made.