YouTube/Daily Mail Gordon Caplan, top lawyer indicted in college admissions bribery scheme.
Gordon Caplan, the head of one of the top law firms in the country, was indicted as part of a massive college admissions bribery scheme, prosecutors announced Tuesday.
Caplan, the co-chair of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, was put on leave after prosecutors alleged that he paid $75,000 to have his daughter’s test scores fixed, The American Lawyer reported.
According to court documents, Caplan paid scheme ringleader William Singer to doctor his daughter’s ACT score.
Caplan, who was previously named “Dealmaker of the Year” by American Lawyer, was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud.
Some 32 parents and more than a dozen SAT/ACT officials and college coaches were indicted in the scheme, along with Caplan and Singer, including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin.
Prosecutors said parents bribed coaches to recruit their kids onto teams they did not play for and bribed test officials to doctor their children’s exam answers.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Caplan Faked His Daughter’s Learning Disability, Prosecutors Say
According to a phone call transcript in court documents, Singer urged Caplan to fake a learning disability for his daughter by getting a psychologist to sign off so that she would get extra time and a separate room to take the ACT exam. The family would then fly to Los Angeles and have her take the test there at a school where Singer bribed test administrators. The test administrator would then doctor her answers.
Singer told Caplan in another phone call that his daughter had “to be stupid” when she was getting tested for the learning disability.
“It’s the home run of home runs,” Singer said in the transcript.
“It works every time?” Caplan asked.
“Every time,” Singer replied.
2. Singer Assured Caplan No One Had Ever Been Caught in His Scheme
According to the transcripts, Caplan and his wife had reservations about the plan but Singer was able to convince them.
“To be honest, this feels a little weird,” Caplan told Singer.
Singer assured the Caplans that the only way anyone would find out is if they told someone.
“To be honest, I’m not worried about the moral issue here,” Caplan told Singer. “I’m worried about the, if she’s caught doing that, you know, she’s finished.”
“It’s never happened before,” Singer replied.
3. Caplan Was Caught in an FBI Sting
@WSJ Gordon Caplan is going to be disbarred. Others charged in the college admissions scandal:
TPG Growth founder
Wilkie Farr & Gallagher PE chairman
Hercules Capital VC founder
WP Investments president
Hyannis Port Capital CEO
Dragon Global VC founder
Caplan followed through with the plan but his daughter’s diagnosis was rejected twice by ACT administrators. According to court documents, FBI officials convinced the organization to approve Caplan’s daughter as part of their investigation.
Law enforcement officials who had closed in on Singer got him to set up a bank account where Caplan wired $25,000.
Days later, Caplan again expressed concern to Singer about getting caught.
“I—I’m not—I’ve never seen it happen,” Singer said, according to the transcript.
He took his daughter to the test, unaware they were being monitored by the FBI, and wired another $50,000 to the fake account two weeks later.
Caplan was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.
He appeared in court Tuesday and was released on $500,000 bail.
4. Caplan Has Been Put on Leave by His Firm
BREAKING: Willkie places Gordon Caplan on leave.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher said Wednesday that Caplan has been put on leave from the firm.
“This is a personal matter and does not involve Willkie or any of its clients,” the firm said. “In light of the seriousness of the matter, Mr. Caplan has been placed on a leave of absence from the firm and will have no further firm management responsibilities.”
“The firm will continue to be managed by its chairmen, Steven Gartner and Thomas Cerabino, and its executive committee,” the statement added. “Our focus remains on our responsibilities to our clients, partners and employees.”
5. 50 People Were Indicted in the Massive Bribery Scheme
Caplan was among more than 30 parents — mostly executives, attorneys, and celebrities — who were indicted in the scheme. Prosecutors say some parents paid to have their kids’ test scores doctored while others paid to have athletic coaches at elite schools recruit their children even though they did not play that sport.
Actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Laughlin were among those indicted.
Nine coaches, a college official, and several test administrators were also indicted.
Singer was charged with racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and obstruction of justice. He pleaded guilty to all charges.
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