America has responded to the college admissions scandal with overwhelming disgust and outrage, and now there are growing demands for a re-evaluation of the college entrance process as a whole and for severe repercussions for wrongdoers.
Now of course, if it's a scandal involving mostly Hollywood celebs and rich liberal elites though, it has to be linked to Donald Trump, right? CNN made a pathetic attempt to couple the president with this nationwide admission scam. They never stop. I saw them, and I said, "Of course they did."
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Well, the truth is, it was the Trump DOJ that busted this racket. The FBI paid actress Lori Loughlin an early morning visit on Wednesday, taking her into custody for her role in the fraud. She and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli allegedly shelled out half a million dollars in bribes to get their two daughters accepted at USC as recruits for the rowing team -- even though neither rowed crew. Both are out on bond.
Now actress Felicity Huffman and 32 other high-profile, well-connected parents from the legal world and from private equity were also charged for participating in the scheme. But one aspect of the story was overlooked, I think, when this news first broke. And it's an aspect that speaks to just how low they can go.
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According to The New York Times, "the conspiracy relied on the parents getting medical documentation that would entitle their children to extra time on the test, an accommodation normally made for students with disabilities. Students who need extra time generally take the test alone supervised only by a proctor providing the opportunity for the bribed proctor to rig the outcome. Now Mr. Singer advised parents on how to get the medical documentation needed to qualify."
Remember Rick Singer is the man at the center of this whole admissions ring. He was recorded by the FBI telling parent Gordan Caplan that "for $4,000 or $5,000, a psychologist he worked with would write a report saying Mr. Caplan's daughter had disabilities and required special accommodations. He assured Mr. Caplan that many parents did this for their children."
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Many parents? Well, apparently, he's right. And I have personally heard stories of parents gaming the system in similar ways. With perhaps not having to pay that much money.
Prosecutors indicated that most were unwitting participants. But maybe we should look at it this way. If a parent steals a car and then gives the car to his son, well, the son doesn't get to keep the car. Because once the crime is discovered, the car is impounded by the authorities and returned to its rightful owner.
The special accommodations, remember, arose after the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. And they were supposed to be reserved for people with actual disabilities. But the system's been abused by parents looking for an edge for their kids. And in some cases, this is happening on college campuses, especially, by students just looking for an Adderall prescription. Sometimes they use them, sometimes they go on and sell them.
But that brings us to the question of the students themselves who took part in this fraud. Now prosecutors indicated that most were unwitting participants. But maybe we should look at it this way. If a parent steals a car and then gives the car to his son, well, the son doesn't get to keep the car. Because once the crime is discovered, the car is impounded by the authorities and returned to its rightful owner.
So a slot in the freshman class of let's say, Yale University or University of Texas or USC, is kind of like the car. It's the fruit of the crime. A deserving, hardworking, ethical student should be given these spots. And I bet there are a lot more spots than just the ones we're talking about in this fraud.
Adapted from Laura Ingraham's monologue from "The Ingraham Angle" on March 13, 2019.
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