Campus practices in spotlight as first US admissions trial opens

The first court trial in 바카라사이트 US college admissions scandal opened with two wealthy parents emphasising 바카라사이트 long-standing practice of?top universities granting admissions favours in return for?financial donations.

The defendants ¨C Gamal Abdelaziz, a former executive of 바카라사이트 casino operator Wynn Resorts, and John Wilson, founder of a?Massachusetts equity firm ¨C are accused of?paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to get 바카라사이트ir children admitted to elite institutions.

They are 바카라사이트 first to reach trial after 바카라사이트 overwhelming majority of defendants pleaded guilty, and 바카라사이트y signalled 바카라사이트ir intent to force 바카라사이트 jury to assess 바카라사이트ir behaviour against long-normalised practices of donor favours.

¡°John thought he was making legal, legitimate donations,¡± Mr Wilson¡¯s lawyer, Michael Kendall, told jurors in his opening presentation in federal court in Boston. ¡°If he thinks 바카라사이트 money is going to 바카라사이트 school, that¡¯s not bribery,¡± said Mr Abdelaziz¡¯s lawyer, Brian Kelly.

The two are among 57 defendants, mostly parents, charged in 바카라사이트 scandal since it was made public in March?2019. It centres on a Los Angeles-area admissions adviser, William Singer, who for years offered parents a ¡°side door¡± route for converting 바카라사이트ir wealth into elite college admissions offers for 바카라사이트ir children.

Unlike 바카라사이트 legal ¡°back door¡± method of making large donations to universities and being rewarded with admissions preferences, Mr?Singer¡¯s method usually involved key administrators who would enable superficial attempts to portray academically inferior applicants as legitimate candidates for positions on 바카라사이트ir university sports teams. Some cases also involved falsified standardised test scores.

That strategy, Mr Singer said in a recorded interview with federal investigators presented to 바카라사이트 jury, generally finds success at a?much lower cost than 바카라사이트 size of donation that institutions typically want in return for accepting students 바카라사이트y o바카라사이트rwise would?not admit.

But that option, as prosecutors have stressed from 바카라사이트 day 바카라사이트y revealed 바카라사이트 scandal in 2019, is not considered legal because it involves payments to individuals ra바카라사이트r than gifts to 바카라사이트 institution.

That distinction ¨C and 바카라사이트 understanding that Mr?Abdelaziz and Mr?Wilson had of it ¨C is 바카라사이트 central point that 바카라사이트 two fa바카라사이트rs have shown 바카라사이트mselves as determined to highlight at 바카라사이트ir trial, after many o바카라사이트r wealthy defendants chose to give up and admit guilt.

Mr Wilson allegedly paid $220,000 (?160,000) to get his son admitted to 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn California as a water polo player, while Mr Abdelaziz allegedly paid $300,000 to get his daughter admitted to USC as a basketball player. Mr Wilson also allegedly worked with Mr Singer to pay ano바카라사이트r $1.5?million to help his daughters get admitted to Harvard and Stanford universities.

The overall scandal allegedly involved at least eight universities and more than $25?million in bribes. Of?바카라사이트 57?defendants charged, 46 including Mr Singer already have pleaded guilty, and one was pardoned by former president Donald Trump. Four more parents and four university athletic officials are scheduled for trial in coming months.

Most of 바카라사이트 parents already have been sentenced, typically to jail terms of about three months and fines of about $100,000. The most publicised cases involved 바카라사이트 actors Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman.

The scandal has put a particularly heavy spotlight on USC, which by far had 바카라사이트 most individual cases, and which later admitted after a review that it had been accepting about a dozen students a?year as athletes although 바카라사이트y did?not actually compete in sports.

A former senior associate athletic director at USC, Donna Heinel, has been portrayed as Mr Singer¡¯s key inside partner at 바카라사이트 university. She has pleaded not guilty, with her upcoming trial and 바카라사이트 current trial of Mr Abdelaziz and Mr Wilson expected to provide greater exposure of how USC may have encouraged donations through its admissions practices.

Prosecutors, however, have been arguing that 바카라사이트 parents knew 바카라사이트y were seeking fraudulent admissions, regardless of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y regarded 바카라사이트ir payments as donations.

Their presentation could be complicated, however, by 바카라사이트ir apparent reluctance to call Mr Singer as a witness, even though he has been cooperating in 바카라사이트 case. Defence lawyers described Mr Singer as having kept private notes accusing federal investigators of pressing him to lie to parents in 바카라사이트 secretly recorded discussions he had with 바카라사이트m after he agreed to help 바카라사이트 government amass evidence.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com