Two Parents Are the First to Face Trial in College Admissions Scandal

[Anonymous]

"At issue are the parents’ conduct, U.S.C’s admissions practices and possibly the fairness of the college admissions process itself.

Gamal Abdelaziz, a former hotel and casino executive, is accused of paying $300,000 to get his daughter admitted to the University of Southern California as a basketball player based on false qualifications.

John Wilson, a private equity executive, is accused of paying $220,000 to get his son admitted to U.S.C. as a water polo player, then conspiring to pay another $1.5 million to secure admission for his daughters to Harvard and Stanford.

Opening statements begin on Monday for the first parents to face trial in a sweeping college admissions case that exposed the role that money, athletics and family privilege play in the competition for coveted seats at brand-name schools.

Over the coming weeks, the fairness of the admissions process may also be on trial.

The mastermind of this college admissions scheme, a college consultant named William Singer, and known as Rick, has already pleaded guilty to racketeering and other charges and cooperated with the government. He specialized in getting his clients’ children into schools through what he called the “side door” — a process that involved making a donation to an athletic department (or simply a payment to a coach) in exchange for the student being designated as a recruited athlete, often in a sport that he or she didn’t play at all.


Mr. Singer told investigators that although the daughter played basketball in high school, she was not good enough to be recruited. So, according to the documents, Mr. Abdelaziz helped Mr. Singer put together a basketball profile to submit to U.S.C. that included falsified honors.

With the help of Donna Heinel, U.S.C.’s former senior associate athletic director, Mr. Abdelaziz’s daughter was admitted in 2018 as a basketball recruit, the documents say. Mr. Abdelaziz subsequently sent $300,000 to a foundation controlled by Mr. Singer, according to the documents.

A few months later, the documents say, Mr. Singer began making payments of $20,000 a month to Dr. Heinel, in exchange for her assistance in recruiting Mr. Abdelaziz’s daughter and the children of Mr. Singer’s other clients.

Mr. Abdelaziz’s daughter never joined the U.S.C. basketball team. Dr. Heinel has pleaded not guilty to fraud and other charges and is scheduled to go to trial in November along with three other former athletic officials."

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/12/education/trial-admissions-scandal-University-of-south-california.html

[Anonymous]

Meanwhile criminal twat Olivia Jade will be on Dancing with the stars. She should be in jail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meanwhile criminal twat Olivia Jade will be on Dancing with the stars. She should be in jail.

[Anonymous]

These folks are nuts to go to trial. Should have just taken a settlement.