California Treasurer Fiona Ma, who is running for lieutenant governor, is under fire for offering job opportunities and internships to students from a China-based boarding school. This school has been implicated in a diploma fraud scheme in collaboration with a California school district, and notably, its founder has contributed significant funds to Ma’s campaign.
Pegasus California School, located in Qingdao, China, was investigated by California education officials earlier this year. The inquiry revealed concerns that the Val Verde Unified School District was illegally granting diplomas to students from the Chinese institution. The audit documented a potential for fraudulent practices and mismanagement of funds, uncovering a troubling pattern of transactions that ultimately led to the approval of a special program allowing affluent Chinese students to earn U.S. diplomas from abroad.
A recent addition to Pegasus’s website indicates that Ma visited the school this year and assured students, parents, and staff that he could facilitate work or internship placements in the U.S. This visit has been interpreted as a demonstration of the California government’s endorsement of Pegasus, which became affiliated with Val Verde in 2016 and started a program to offer California diplomas soon after.
In fact, the school highlighted that Ma chose Pegasus as his exclusive stop in China, reinforcing the idea that the administration views it positively.
During his visit, Ma expressed enthusiasm about interacting with students and reiterated his commitment to providing internship opportunities, saying, “If you want to intern in California, please come to me. I will provide several internship and employment opportunities.”
The financial ties between Pegasus founder Stephen Marr and Ma are noteworthy. Marr has donated over $13,200 to both Ma’s campaign for treasurer and lieutenant governor since 2021. His educational consulting company has also contributed nearly $24,000 since 2010.
Fox News Digital sought comments from Ma regarding his visit to the school and whether the Val Verde School District was aware of it, but did not receive a response.
Business Insider previously reported allegations of an inappropriate relationship between Pegasus and the Val Verde Unified School District, which led to the audit. The number of students enrolled at Pegasus reportedly pays as much as $34,000 annually, while asserting its independence as a private boarding school rather than a public institution utilizing Val Verde’s resources.
According to shared documents, a program permitted ten students from Val Verde to visit Pegasus for ten days at $300 each, which the audit notes doesn’t show direct repayments but reveals benefits that appeared to favor district officials rather than students.
Interestingly, Pegasus also allegedly promised students guaranteed admission to top 100 U.S. universities, accompanied by a full tuition refund offer if they were unsuccessful. A memorandum from 2019 indicates that UC Riverside made commitments regarding scholarships for qualifying students.
Following the audit’s completion and an announcement from Riverside County officials, the California Department of Education imposed a cease-and-desist order on Pegasus. This order mandated the removal of misleading claims suggesting the school’s founding was officially sanctioned by the Department of Education.
The cease-and-desist noted, “California law prohibits non-governmental organizations from implying a connection with the state government that could mislead the public about the extent of that association,” clearly distancing the Department from Pegasus California Schools.
