Former University of Southern California administrator Donna Heinel claimed she was unaware of bribes to the university while admitting unqualified children to the school.
According to reports, Heinel denied accepting bribes from college counselor Rick Singer, claiming he had no knowledge that wealthy parents of celebrity children were buying college admissions. That's what it means. interview She went to prison as part of the Varsity Blues admissions scandal, but was grounded in interviews, adamant that she was a scapegoat and not at the center of the plot.
BOSTON, MA – MARCH 25: Former University of Southern California Senior Associate Athletic Director Donna Heinel (left) is arraigned in Boston Federal Court on March 25, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. arrived at. More than a dozen coaches, athletic directors and proctors were indicted Monday in connection with the college admissions scandal. (Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
Heinel was sentenced to six months in prison for fraud stemming from her involvement in the admissions scandal, but she still doesn't know how she landed her dream job and ended up in prison. I have doubts. She said she treated teenagers with wealthy parents the way she was told to and hid them behind what she perceived as her job description. She disapproved of admitting students based on money their parents provided to the university.
Actress Felicity Huffman leaves court after being indicted on charges including conspiracy to commit mail fraud at the John Joseph Mauchly Federal Courthouse in Boston on April 3, 2019. (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)
Heinel told the Charlotte Observer that his death “made no sense.” “The University of Southern California was my life.”
The 63-year-old spoke out about her understanding of the ordeal for the first time since her 2019 arrest. She said she handled the admissions of wealthy teenagers handed to her by Singer the same way she handled hundreds of other wealthy people. According to the Charlotte Observer, these are the applicants that USC sent her as a potential source of donations. She said her boss knew she was being given special treatment and encouraged the behavior.
“I carried out my job description well, and at no point did I consider that this was anything sinister,” she told the publication.
Federal prosecutors took a different view of the matter, calling Heinel “one of the most prolific and culpable participants” in the admissions scheme. They criticized her “efforts to trivialize, justify and shift responsibility,” according to the Charlotte Observer.
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 3: Lori Loughlin leaves the John Joseph Mauchly Federal Courthouse after appearing in federal court to answer charges stemming from the college admissions scandal on April 3, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. . (Photo by Paul Marotta/Getty Images)
Heinel's perceived mission was not the only problem. Prosecutors also focused on $160,000 deposited into her bank account, claiming the payments were bribes for her work admitting unqualified students.
She also had a reason to justify it. Mr. Heinel argued that Mr. Singer had purchased the consulting services he provided as a side business and that the deposit was legitimate. She also claimed there was no wrongdoing related to the funds, according to the Charlotte Observer.
This secret system operated within the school for years until the Varsity Blues incident exploded into media coverage. It took the children of celebrities Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin to draw attention to a corrupt system. According to multiple reports, Mr. Heinel and Mr. Singer systematically processed students who were ineligible to attend the school in exchange for large sums of money disguised as donations. Many of the students reportedly participated in sports, but did not reach USC's caliber and were not on team rosters when they enrolled. (Related: Lori Loughlin returns to TV after college admissions scandal)
