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Southern California at Heart of College Admissions Scandal
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Southern California at Heart of College Admissions Scandal
More than a dozen Southern California residents are among those charged Tuesday by federal prosecutors in a national college admission bribery and fraud scheme.
The alleged ring leader is Newport Beach resident Rick Singer. He used the college counseling company he founded and a charity to collect millions of dollars from wealthy parents to get their kids into elite colleges including USC and UCLA. The senior associate athletic director at USC allegedly took over a million dollars in bribes to bring in kids with false athletic credentials. She was fired, along with USC’s water polo coach. The men’s soccer coach at UCLA was put on leave after he was indicted.
Local parents who were indicted include prominent business executives and two Hollywood actresses: Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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