College administration bribery scandal

[Vagabond]

So the parents from China that paid $6.5 million to get their kid into Stanford .... if they live in and are citizens of China, can they even be charged in this case if they never step foot in the US so they can be arrested and charged?

Of course they can be charged for violating U.S. law. But don't count on their being extradited. OTOH, the daughter's admission to Stanford has apparently been rescinded. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/ju...stery-solved-chinese-family-paid-6-5-n1000826

I wonder if the parents will have the chutzpah to ask for their money back.

 

[Jenny]

Quite some time ago, someone hit on the bright idea of staging episodes of "The Brady Bunch" at a small theater somewhere in L.A. The productions apparently followed the original scripts line by line, but the Brady kids were all portrayed by adults. (I think one of the original cast members may have made a guest appearance recreating her role.)

Totally off topic, but this sounds like so much fun! I loved this show as a kid, and I'll never forget the day I was in Germany and one of my favourite episodes aired with German dubbing, including a complete rewrite of the opening song (sing it with me: "drei Mädchen und drei Jungen" ).

There was also the episode of Hollywood Game Night when Rita Wilson's fun fact was that she had once appeared on an episode of the Brady Bunch - they asked her to reprise her legendary turn as a cheerleader, and my husband was rather that I could do the whole thing with her - F F FIL L L LMO O O ORE Filmore Junior High!!

 

[Vagabond]

Totally off topic, but this sounds like so much fun! I loved this show as a kid, and I'll never forget the day I was in Germany and one of my favourite episodes aired with German dubbing, including a complete rewrite of the opening song (sing it with me: "drei Mädchen und drei Jungen" ).

Drei Madchen und Drei Jungen with adult voices yet!

This will be in my head all day and maybe tomorrow too.

 

[Susan1]

I forgot to mention - on When Calls the Heart, they explained Abigail's absence that her mother was ill "back east". Elizabeth was writing it in a letter at the very beginning, and how they all missed her and were pitching in to help around the town.

 

[Garden Kitty]

Totally off topic, but this sounds like so much fun! I loved this show as a kid, and I'll never forget the day I was in Germany and one of my favourite episodes aired with German dubbing, including a complete rewrite of the opening song (sing it with me: "drei Mädchen und drei Jungen" ).

I was living in LA then and we went to the "live" show. It was fun, because the audience knew it was silly and enjoyed the retro silliness. Most of the audience was of the age that the show was part of their growing up.

 

[Vagabond]

It's actually the college admissions bribery scanda.

As she said she would do, Felicity Huffman has pleaded guilty to one felony charge.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/13/us/felicity-huffman-guilty-college-admissions-scandal.html

The article contains some discussion as to why her husband hasn't been charged and might not be. It also contains this:

Mr. Macy does not appear to have sustained damage to his career. He is currently appearing in “Shameless,” a series on Showtime.

It sounds like a reality series.

 

[WillyElliot]

It's actually the college admissions bribery scanda.

As she said she would do, Felicity Huffman has pleaded guilty to one felony charge.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/13/us/felicity-huffman-guilty-college-admissions-scandal.html

I can't read the article, but was she sentenced? Though I don't admire what she did, I do admire how she admitted her guilt, made her apologies, and accepted her fate with the court system. This is America. People like to see someone own their actions and apologize and take their punishment. And then the public moves on. I can't imagine the same thing happening with Lori Loughlin, who remains an entitled, uncontrite asshole.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

It sounds like a reality series.

It's not but could be. Imagine a family of alcoholics and mentally ill people constantly making the worst possible decisions they could ever make instead of ever taking the road that could lead to a better life. It started out as UK show, which I haven't seen. Then they started the US William H. Macy version.

I had to stop watching it after a few seasons because the bad choices never end.

 

[Vagabond]

I can't read the article, but was she sentenced?

She hasn't been sentenced. The prosecutors are asking for a four-month sentence, a $20,000 fine, and twelve monts of supervised release.

And you should be able to read the article if you first delete cookies from your hard drive.

 

[MacMadame]

And you should be able to read the article if you first delete cookies from your hard drive.

Or just open an incognito window. That works most of the time and is easier

 

[BaileyCatts]

I can't read the article, but was she sentenced? .

She won't be sentenced until September. They are recommending a fine and minimal jail time, but its up to the judge what kind of punishment she gets.

 

[Garden Kitty]

This article in USA Today mentions that they recommended a 4 month sentence for Felicity Huffman because her payment was only $15,000 but they were recommendin15-21 months for someone who paid more. That seems like a wide range for the same crime, and I can better understand why the plea deal may not seem as attractive to people who paid the highest amounts.

At the same hearing, Devin Sloane, a CEO of a water systems company in Los Angeles, pleaded guilty to paying $250,000 in bribes to Singer to falsely designate his son as a water polo player so he could gain acceptance to the University of Southern California. Given the greater dollar amount than Huffman's case, prosecutors recommended 15 to 21 months of prison time for Sloane.

 

[kwanfan1818]

The UK Shameless was a great show. It was the first thing I ever binge-watched.

Lori Loughlin was on "Edge of Night," and you people claim she has no legacy

 

[Vagabond]

This article in USA Today mentions that they recommended a 4 month sentence for Felicity Huffman because her payment was only $15,000 but they were recommendin15-21 months for someone who paid more. That seems like a wide range for the same crime, and I can better understand why the plea deal may not seem as attractive to people who paid the highest amounts.

IDK, it looks to me like a clear case of getting what you paid for.

On second thought, maybe it's more like paying for what you got.

 

[gkelly]

It's not but could be. Imagine a family of alcoholics and mentally ill people constantly making the worst possible decisions they could ever make instead of ever taking the road that could lead to a better life. It started out as UK show, which I haven't seen. Then they started the US William H. Macy version.

I had to stop watching it after a few seasons because the bad choices never end.

And there was an early plotline about a character earning money by taking exams, including college entrance exams, for people who paid him to do so.

 

[taf2002]

This article in USA Today mentions that they recommended a 4 month sentence for Felicity Huffman because her payment was only $15,000 but they were recommendin15-21 months for someone who paid more. That seems like a wide range for the same crime, and I can better understand why the plea deal may not seem as attractive to people who paid the highest amounts.

It seems apparent that she "only" paid to jack up her daughter's SAT scores. She was not part of the bogus sports or money laundering. It still isn't clear to me why Macy isn't charged as well since he clearly knew about it.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

It still isn't clear to me why Macy isn't charged as well since he clearly knew about it.

Lack of direct evidence tying his name to it. Common sense says he had to know but Huffman isn't likely to testify against him.

 

[AxelAnnie]

The UK Shameless was a great show. It was the first thing I ever binge-watched.

Lori Loughlin was on "Edge of Night," and you people claim she has no legacy

OMG! The Edge of Night. I haven't thought of it in years. I will always remember Sara was about to die having run in front of a speeding car to save her daughter Lori.........She wanted to see through the window. Mike lifted her up, carried her to the window. She died in his arms.

Those were the days.

 

[taf2002]

OMG! The Edge of Night. I haven't thought of it in years. I will always remember Sara was about to die having run in front of a speeding car to save her daughter Lori.........She wanted to see through the window. Mike lifted her up, carried her to the window. She died in his arms.

Those were the days.

Didn't that show have a guy in a wheelchair & the last show before it went off the air he got up & walked? Or am I thinking of some other soap?

 

[AxelAnnie]

Didn't that show have a guy in a wheelchair & the last show before it went off the air he got up & walked? Or am I thinking of some other soap?

I am trying to find out. Would not be surprised. After all, Sara actually (I just watched it) got up out of bed, with her mangled, dying body, and walked to Mike and said "Hold me".

 

[Prancer]

On Wednesday, Adam Semprevivo filed a lawsuit against Georgetown University alleging breach of contract and other claims. His lawsuit seeks "injunctive relief" preventing Georgetown from "revoking earned academic credits and subjecting Semprevivo to academic discipline," which could include measures "up through and including expulsion." The lawsuit claims his father entered into an agreement with Singer to get Adam admitted into Georgetown "without (his) knowledge."

Oddly, Semprevivo's lawsuit does not seek to refute any of the allegations in the prosecutorial documents, including the falsified application regarding his tennis ability, but rather blames Georgetown University for not verifying his admittedly misrepresented application.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/colleg...-after-father-pleaded-guilty-adam-semprevivo/

The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree.

 

[MacMadame]

I can see where Semprevivo is coming from. He has 3 years of college and is afraid he'll have to start over somewhere instead of just completing one more year. However, that's only one thing the suit asks for: to not invalidate his credits. The rest of it is ridiculous. Maybe they are asking for more in hopes of getting what they want but it comes off as tone deaf / clueless.

 

[Vagabond]

I can see where Semprevivo is coming from. He has 3 years of college and is afraid he'll have to start over somewhere instead of just completing one more year.

The intended third-party beneficiary of an illegal contract has no right to benefit from that contract, no matter how innocent he may be.

If he doesn't get to transfer his credits, at least he will have learned from the experience.

 

[MacMadame]

I think it will come down to the contract he has with the school. They all say they can kick you out if you falsified anything on your admission packet. But they don't generally say none of your credits will count. So I doubt they can do that to him. But they can certainly kick him out and should.

 

[Vagabond]

I think it will come down to the contract he has with the school. They all say they can kick you out if you falsified anything on your admission packet. But they don't generally say none of your credits will count. So I doubt they can do that to him. But they can certainly kick him out and should.

The problem doesn't appear to be that he falsified anything in his application.

 

[MacMadame]

The problem doesn't appear to be that he falsified anything in his application.

His application says he played tennis at a high level. That's a lie.

 

[Vagabond]

His application says he played tennis at a high level. That's a lie.

Eys, but that doesn't appear to be the issue here. Did he allege it in his complaint?

Here's the key point:

The lawsuit claims his father entered into an agreement with Singer to get Adam admitted into Georgetown "without (his) knowledge."

Generally speaking, the law does not protect those who benefit from others' fraud or illegal contracts.

 

[Prancer]

The problem doesn't appear to be that he falsified anything in his application.

Yes, his lawsuit seems to admit that he falsified his application right up front, but says it's not his fault--he "blames Georgetown University for not verifying his admittedly misrepresented application."

I just find that a rather mind-boggling defense.

 

[Vagabond]

Yes, his lawsuit seems to admit that he falsified his application right up front, but says it's not his fault--he "blames Georgetown University for not verifying his admittedly misrepresented application."

I just find that a rather mind-boggling defense.

Defenses won't do him one whit of good. He isn't a defendant. He's a plaintiff! And a plaintiff with a shaky case at that.

 

[Prancer]

Defenses won't do him one whit of good. He isn't a defendant. He's a plaintiff! And a plaintiff with a shaky case at that.

Yes, I knew as I posted that the lawyer in town would tell me he's the plaintiff , but I still think of that as him defending his actions, not as defending his suit.

There are so few people in this mess who seem to be willing to take responsibility for their own actions.