OAN Staff James Myers
12:03 PM – Monday, October 21, 2024
Rick Singer, convicted of perpetrating the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal, was unapologetic in his first public address since being sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison.
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The disgraced 64-year-old is currently living in a concentration camp in Los Angeles, where he is serving the remainder of his sentence after pleading guilty to racketeering, money laundering and obstruction charges in 2019.
At the time of the trial, the court heard that he accepted bribes totaling more than $25 million from parents who wanted their children to attend certain schools, including celebrities such as Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman.
“Right now, someone might recognize me, I might hear people talking, but nobody cares,” the singer claimed while reflecting on his crimes.
He also admitted he was guilty of “everything” he was convicted of, but insisted he was not alone in changing the university admissions system.
For several years, Singer reportedly ran a lucrative and legitimate college consulting business. But all that changed in 2011 when he realized he couldn't force some customers through the “front door.”
Singer said there are actually three ways students can get into college. First, through the “front door” with legitimate achievements and achievements, then through the “back door” when a family member makes a large public donation, or through one's own “back door.”
“This has been going on for hundreds of years. I'm not smart enough to create this process,” he said.
Additionally, Singer claimed that he never took slots away from deserving students, but that his plan merely exposed the budgetary strategies that higher education institutions rely on.
He claimed that the university blocks certain “spots” on intramural sports teams from general applicants and reserves them for larger donors who pay for student admission.
“In 90 per cent of cases, I get a call every year from a coach saying, 'There's a spot open and we need to raise this much money… Find a family,'” he claims. University admissions officers claimed they had done nothing. He faced the same scrutiny he did.
Asked whether his plan prevented regular recruits from earning money on college teams, Singer said, “What I do is act as a facilitator and give coaches options.'' All I have to do is provide it.”
As of October 2023, more than 50 people have pleaded guilty or been sentenced in the college admissions scandal.
“I knew it was wrong, but I did it anyway,” Singer said. “How can 10, 12, 13 kids who are great students and talented people be deprived of the opportunity to attend a decent school because of this one thing?” I justified it to myself. ”
Singer said that on March 12, 2019, the day she was charged, she left John Joseph Mauchly alone in a Boston courthouse and looked down at her cell phone.
He claimed to have received 93 text messages within an hour. Singer said most of the calls are from clients who are looking for more advanced advice but are still wondering if they can get it.
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