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FOXNews.com

 - July 09, 2009

Report: Obama Aide Used White House E-mail to Send 'Personal' Endorsement of Student

The University of Illinois Law School has been roundly criticized for accepting students -- many of whom were academically unqualified -- because of recommendations from the politically powerful.

A special assistant to President Obama used his White House e-mail account to send a "personal" endorsement for a student on the waiting list at the University of Illinois Law School, the Chicago Tribune reported Thursday.

Kareem Dale, the special assistant to the president for disability policy, reportedly sent an e-mail to his alma mater from his government account, vouching for the student's "dedication, intelligence, and attitude."

The University of Illinois Law School has been roundly criticized for accepting students -- many of whom were academically unqualified -- because of recommendations from the politically powerful.

In testimony to a state commission on Wednesday, Law School Dean Bruce Smith announced that the school has ended the use of "clout lists," and said he ignored Dale's e-mail after a high-level administrator forwarded it to him, the newspaper reported.

Click here to read more from the Chicago Tribune.

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