Varsity Blues | Setting the Standard | 3

Rick Singer expands his illicit college admissions scheme, using a network of corrupt insiders to manipulate his clients’ standardized test scores. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Lindsay Graham?

  Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. American Scandal uses dramatizations that are based on true events. Some elements, including dialogue, might be invented, but everything is based on historical research. It's late 2016 at Brentwood School in Los Angeles, California. The afternoon sun hangs low over the soccer field, throwing long shadows across the sidelines.

• 0:42Lindsay Graham?

  Jane Buckingham slides a pair of designer sunglasses over her eyes and claps as her 15-year-old son Jack kicks the ball downfield. Over the past two decades, Buckingham has built a successful career as a self-help author. Her series The Modern Girl's Guide to Life is a bestseller, and her advice on parenting and modern living has made her a familiar face on national television. Still, no matter how busy her life becomes, she's always determined to make time for her family. Jack is the Brentwood team's goalie, and he darts out of the penalty area to intercept a pass from the other team. He gets there before the opposing forward and clears the ball. Buckingham claws out.

• 1:25Speaker 01

  Great job, Jack!

• 1:27Lindsay Graham?

  Beside her, another mother leans in. He's a good goalie. Oh, thanks. I think he must have gotten the athletic genes from his dad, though. The whistle blows for halftime. Buckingham claps her hands.

• 1:38Speaker 01

  Way to go, Brentwood! Keep going!

• 1:42Lindsay Graham?

  As the players jog toward their coach on the other side of the field, the mother next to Buckingham leans in again. So what schools is Jack looking at? Oh, we're not really thinking about college yet. Jack's only a sophomore. The woman blames. Really? I mean, we're aware of it, but it's still so early. Well, my youngest is a freshman, and we just hired someone. Hired someone? What do you mean? A private college counselor. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but by junior year, half the good people will be booked, and then you're scrambling. Buckingham shifts her way, feeling suddenly uneasy. She's spent years advising women on modern parenting, yet standing here, it feels like she's been let into a secret that everyone else already knew. The woman smiles awkwardly.

• 2:26Lindsay Graham?

  Oh, I'm sorry. I don't want to tell Jane Buckingham how to parent. No, no, please do. Apparently Jane Buckingham missed a meeting. Which counselor are you using, if you don't mind me asking? Well, there's a few we talked to, and I have their numbers here if you'd like. Yeah, thank you, that would be great. The woman pulls out her phone and scrolls through her contacts to the first name. She shows the screen to Buckingham. Now, this one, she's amazing. Her office is in Pasadena, though. Bit of a nightmare of a drive. What about the other one? Where's he based? The woman taps on her phone to pull up a second contact. Yeah, yeah, he's more flexible. He comes right to your house. Real sweetheart. Nothing's too much trouble for him. Well, that sounds more like my kind of man. Can I get his number? Oh, absolutely.

• 3:11Lindsay Graham?

  Buckingham takes out her own phone and types quickly. He really does home visits? Yeah, he's very hands-on. Practically becomes part of the family. Well, I'm definitely not driving across LA. Buckingham looks down at the phone again. Rick Singer, huh? Well, thank you. I'll give him a call this evening. As the second half of the soccer game gets underway, Jane Buckingham's concerns that she's let down her son begin to ease. This is what successful parents do. They gather information, they make decisions early, and they stay competitive. But Buckingham's decision to choose Rick Singer over another college counselor will be one she will come to regret. Singer will certainly make her son's application competitive, but in time, it will stand out for all the wrong reasons.

• 3:56Speaker 02

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• 4:40Speaker 02

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• 5:42Lindsay Graham?

  Must be present in certain states. Visit prizepicks.com for restrictions and details. From Audible Originals, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is American Scandal. When Rick Singer got the call from Jane Buckingham, he wasn't starstruck. By 2016, he'd been a college counselor for more than a decade, and his client list included

• 6:26Lindsay Graham?

  NFL players, Hollywood actors, and top CEOs. For many of them, Singer was a legitimate counselor, an expert on crafting the perfect college application. But to some of his clients, Singer offered more than just tutoring and admissions advice. He had an additional service that all but guaranteed acceptance to the school of choice. He called it the side door. In return for bribes of tens of thousands of dollars, coaches and administrators could falsely designate applicants as top athletes, giving academically unremarkable students a path into some of the most competitive schools in the country. But this side door was only one part of Singer's increasingly criminal operation, because

• 7:07Lindsay Graham?

  when bribing coaches wasn't enough, he had another weapon at his disposal. This is episode three, Setting the Standard. It's late August 2017 in Los Angeles, California. 54-year-old actress Felicity Huffman sits curled into the corner of a white leather sofa with a laptop balanced on her knees. Her fingers move across its keyboard in quick bursts, pausing only occasionally while she listens. Sitting in an armchair across from her is Rick Singer. A leather folder lies open on the coffee table between them with SAT prep materials and handwritten notes spilling out of it. Singer is working with Huffman's daughter Sophia on her college application.

• 7:51Lindsay Graham?

  But his assessment of Sophia's work is blunt. Her scores are just not where they need to be. And now that admissions season is approaching, Sophia will have to take a standardized test. College admissions offices use these exams, typically the SAT or ACT, to help judge applicants' academic readiness. But Huffman is worried. Sophia has always struggled with tests, and despite the hours she spends on her schoolwork, her results never quite match her expectations, and that dents her confidence. It all breaks Huffman's heart. Away from test booklets and answer sheets, Sophia is such a talented girl. If only she could get into a good performing arts school, Huffman is sure her daughter would blossom.

• 8:34Lindsay Graham?

  But Singer explains that the school Sofia has her eye on receives thousands of applicants every year. Talent alone no longer guarantees admission, not when offices filter students by their test results before ever watching an audition tape. It's not really fair, but that's the way the system works. It's just not designed for kids like Sofia. Fortunately, Singer says he has a way to level the playing field by controlling the outcome of the SAT. Normally, students take standardized tests at their own schools or in testing centers, monitored by staff following strict procedures. But students with approved accommodations for special needs can sometimes take exams in alternative locations under different supervision arrangements.

• 9:17Lindsay Graham?

  Singer has figured out a way to take advantage of that. By the summer of 2017, he has relationships with officials at two separate testing centers. Both are willing to cooperate with him in exchange for bribes. The process is simple. Singer arranges for his client to take the exam over a weekend when the testing centers are otherwise empty. He flies in a trusted tutor with expertise in standardized testing to act as proctor. What happens next varies according to the client and how much they've paid. Sometimes the proctor assists the student during the test itself. Other times, the student completes the exam normally and leaves unaware that anything illicit is going on. But after they've left, the proctor goes through the paper, amending incorrect answers

• 10:02Lindsay Graham?

  before it's submitted. Huffman notes down what Singer says and how much it will cost. But for the next six weeks, she avoids committing to Singer's proposal because she knows it's wrong. Still, as a mother, she also feels that she must do the best for her child. So she keeps her options open. So even as she puts off the final decision, Huffman allows Singer to make the initial arrangements. Sofia already has a diagnosis of ADHD, so Huffman emails the school asking them to confirm whether Sofia is eligible for extra time when she takes the test. It's one special accommodation that the school has been willing to give her in the past, although Sofia hasn't always used it. Quickly, the school replies that Sofia qualifies for double time on standardized tests, and

• 10:47Lindsay Graham?

  that provision gives Sofia a legitimate reason to take the SAT away from school. Huffman confirms the arrangement with Singer, but then Sofia's school throws a wrench in the works. When the school's next email arrives, Huffman is enjoying a rare, quiet morning at home. She glances at the new email in her inbox and opens it, expecting nothing more than another administrative update. But as her eyes move down the message, the muscles in her face tighten. The school counselor explains that they are happy to accommodate Sofia's extra time requirements. They'll reserve two full days for her to complete the SAT on campus, and the counselor will personally supervise the test to ensure everything proceeds smoothly. Huffman leans back slowly in her chair.

• 11:30Lindsay Graham?

  She knows that the school is only trying to help. They believe they're easing pressure on a student with ADHD, creating a supportive environment where she can perform at her best. But without realizing it, they've spoiled the key part of Singer's plan. The arrangement depends on Sofia taking the test in a private center where Singer's corrupt proctor can work without oversight. Huffman looks back at the email again, as though rereading the lines might somehow change their meaning. They don't. So then she clicks forward and types in Singer's email address. Her fingers hover over the keyboard for a moment before she adds a brief note informing him that there's a problem. His reply arrives almost immediately, getting straight to the point, "We will speak about it."

• 12:15Lindsay Graham?

  Singer's message, though, does little to calm Huffman's nerves, so she picks up her phone and calls him. Huffman doesn't really know what to do. She could just accept the arrangements from the school. Perhaps the extra time will boost Sofia's performance enough. Or she could keep pushing for her daughter to take the SAT in Singer's exam center and guarantee Sofia the scores she needs. For Singer, the solution is obvious. All Huffman needs to do is tell the school that she doesn't want Sofia to miss two days of classes. He's sure they won't question that. After all, it will make the school's job easier if Huffman arranges for Sofia to take the SAT independently over a weekend. But Singer says the final choice must be Huffman's. So Huffman thinks it over. Sofia genuinely has ADHD.

• 12:59Lindsay Graham?

  She is entitled to extra time, and Huffman can rationalize that portion of the plan without much difficulty. The harder part is the manipulation of the score itself. That is outright fraud. Yet in her mind, removing the crushing pressure of the SAT would allow Sofia to focus on her acting, her schoolwork, and the things she truly excels at. So Huffman makes her choice, and she asks for Singer's help. Two months later, in December 2017, Sofia takes the SAT at West Hollywood College Prep. The school's director, Igor Dvorsky, arrives ahead of schedule to unlock and prepare the exam room. Also there early is Mark Riddell, a private tutor who moonlights as Singer's test proctor on weekends.

• 13:42Lindsay Graham?

  Then, once the exam begins, Sofia works through the sections steadily. After several hours, she finishes the test, gathers her belongings, and then leaves the room. Her mother is waiting in the hallway, and they drive home, stopping off her ice cream as a special treat. But back at West Hollywood College Prep, Mark Riddell's job is only just beginning. He retrieves Sofia's test materials. She hasn't written her answers on the official sheet. Following Riddell's instructions, she completed the exam on a separate document. So now, using a pencil, Riddell methodically fills in the official answer grid on her behalf, but he doesn't just copy Sofia's answers. He adjusts her responses and changes incorrect selections.

• 14:25Lindsay Graham?

  And when the results arrive later, Sofia is ecstatic with her score. She's achieved a 1420, nearly 400 points higher than her practice tests. To her, it's validation, proof that all her persistence and effort has paid off. Felicity Huffman celebrates with her daughter, but she knows the real reason for the dramatic improvement. Huffman has already made a $15,000 payment to Rick Singer's charitable foundation. On paper, this donation is for educational causes in Cambodia and the United States. In practice, portions of the funds are redirected, some to Singer himself and some to Riddell and Dvorsky, the men who facilitated the arrangement. But after all is said and done, the operation has worked perfectly.

• 15:10Lindsay Graham?

  Huffman has gotten her daughter the score she needs, Singer and the others have their money, and no one is the wiser. With the process working so smoothly, Singer begins steering more of his high-paying clients toward the same service. And by April 2018, he's been working with Jane Buckingham's son, Jack, for a year. His regular sessions at the Buckingham's home are usually followed by a game of basketball in the yard. Singer fakes a left, pivots sharply, and drives past Jack with surprising speed. Jack instinctively reaches out to steal the ball, but Singer shields it with his shoulder and spins away. Aw, man, too slow. Singer powers past Jack again, banks the ball off the backboard. All right, that's game.

• 15:55Lindsay Graham?

  He raises a fist in triumph before tossing the ball back to Jack. All right, man, go grab a drink. I need a minute with your mom. Jack catches the ball and heads back inside. Singer grabs a towel from the patio chair and begins wiping sweat from his forehead as he walks over to Jack's mother, Jane Buckingham. She looks up from the lifestyle magazine she's reading. I think you traveled on that last point. Oh, no, I didn't. You absolutely did. Well, then Jack should have called it. Not my fault he wasn't looking. You are way too competitive for a 58-year-old. Well, I take that as a compliment. Buckingham pours water from a pitcher into two glasses. So how did he look today? Well, he is a great kid. He is. Singer nods toward the stack of ACT prep papers sitting on the patio table.

• 16:40Lindsay Graham?

  But the numbers still aren't where they need to be. He scored at the 94th percentile. Singer shrugs. For a lot of schools, that's fantastic, but for what Jack wants... Rick, his GPA is 3.3. He's worked incredibly hard this year. I know he has. He spends almost every evening with a tutor. Are you saying Southern Methodist is out of the question still? He loved his visit there. He talks about it constantly. That's why I'm telling you this now. You told us he was competitive. And he is, but being competitive is still no guarantee. Schools reject applications like Jack's every single day. For the first time in years, he's genuinely excited about something. Well, the admissions landscape has changed. Still, there may be another way to help him. What's that?

• 17:25Lindsay Graham?

  I don't offer it to everyone, you understand. It's not tutoring or coaching. It's something different. What are you saying, Rick? Well, I can get his ACT score up, guaranteed, and it's foolproof as long as everyone cooperates. Cooperates? Is it fair? College admissions aren't fair, Jane. You know that. Other families use donations, athletic consultants, legacy connections. This is just another version of the same thing. Behind them, Jack emerges from the house, bouncing the basketball. He tosses it to Singer, who catches it with a grin. So what do you think, Jane? Shall I give Jack more of a chance? Buckingham is silent for a moment, and she looks from Singer to Jack and back again. All right, yeah. Let's give him a shot.

• 18:09Lindsay Graham?

  Rick Singer's system for cheating on standardized tests is now a well-oiled machine. The difficult part is not the logistics. It's identifying which parents can be persuaded to cross the line. Jack Buckingham's grades and ACT score are already good, and despite the impression Singer gave Jack's mother, a spot in the sports management program at Southern Methodist is far from impossible. But like many parents, Jane Buckingham does not fully understand the admissions process. She relies on Singer to interpret the system for her, and she trusts what he tells her and does what he says, even when it's increasingly clear that what he's suggesting breaks the rules.

• 18:50Speaker 05

  Ghosts aren't real. At least, that's what journalist Tristan Redmond always believed. Sure, odd things happen in his childhood bedroom, but ultimately, he shrugged them off. Until he discovered that he wasn't alone, that everyone who lived thereafter him also had bizarre experiences they couldn't explain. And it gets even weirder. It just so happens that his wife's great-grandmother was murdered in the house next door. Is this ghost somehow connected to her murder? He decides to go where no son-in-law should, digging up a cold case and asking questions that nobody wants answered. Like, could his wife's great-grandfather have gotten away with the perfect crime? This is a podcast about family secrets, overwhelming coincidence, and the things that come

• 19:34Speaker 05

  back to haunt us. For the best bingeable series like Ghost Story, listen to the Audible True Crime Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can get all episodes early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

• 19:50Lindsay Graham?

  On January 1, 1892, a young Irish immigrant named Annie Moore became the first person processed at the new immigration station on Ellis Island. For the millions who followed her, this small island in New York Harbor would become the place where their American dream would either begin or end. Hi, I'm Lindsay Graham, the host of the podcast American History Tellers. We take you to the events, times, and people that shaped America and Americans, our values, our struggles, and our dreams. In our latest series, we trace the history of Ellis Island. For more than three decades, it served as the gateway through which millions of hopeful immigrants entered the United States. But as the nation struggled to decide who belonged, some would find the gate shut to them. Follow American History Tellers wherever you get your podcasts.

• 20:34Lindsay Graham?

  Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of American History Tellers early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

• 20:55Lindsay Graham?

  In May 2018, an incident at Brentwood School in Los Angeles leaves 17-year-old Jack Buckingham feeling annoyed. One of his classmates copies answers on a test and gets away with it, and then boasts about not being caught. The unfairness bothers Jack. He spent months grinding through schoolwork and private tutoring sessions, seeing someone else cut corners infuriates him. That evening, he vents about it to his mother. Jane Buckingham seems to share her son's frustration, and she's uniquely positioned to do something about it. Buckingham has built an entire business around self-improvement, parenting advice, and aspirational life coaching. Her social media feeds are packed with motivational slogans and uplifting affirmations aimed

• 21:40Lindsay Graham?

  at helping people become the best version of themselves. So she picks up her phone and opens Instagram. She taps out a short message in all caps. The first words are, "Don't cheat." She hopes that the message will hit home with the people who need to hear it. But there's a sharp irony in Buckingham's post. She might not know every detail of the plan yet, but she's already moving forward with a plot to cheat on Jack's ACT. Jack has already taken the ACT twice, but Rick Singer arranges for him to take the test once more. This time, Jack will have to travel over 1,000 miles to a high school in Houston, Texas. This location is carefully chosen. The school's test administrator, Nikki Williams, is one of Singer's key collaborators.

• 22:25Lindsay Graham?

  In return for $5,000, she'll open the school to allow Jack to take the standardized test in near total isolation. Singer then books a flight for his preferred test fixer, Mark Riddell. His job is straightforward. He must supervise Jack's exam, then amend the answers to make sure he scores higher than he did before. By now, Singer is confident enough in his system that he treats it almost like an assembly line. But things don't always go as smoothly as planned, and Jack's case quickly becomes one of the bumpiest. Only days before he's scheduled to take the ACT in Houston, Jack gets sick. He visits the doctor and comes away with a diagnosis of tonsillitis. Normally, that would be nothing to worry about.

• 23:09Lindsay Graham?

  He just needs antibiotics, rest, and plenty of fluids. But Jack's situation is a little more complicated. For months, he's been suffering from severe sinus problems, and it's gotten so bad that he's scheduled for surgery a few days after he's to take the ACT. Now, this bout of tonsillitis threatens to ruin everything. The doctor's orders are clear. Jack needs to take it easy, so flying to Houston is out of the question. Jane Buckingham has to break the bad news to Singer. She paces her kitchen, phone pressed tightly to one ear. Singer answers on the second ring.

• 23:46Lindsay Graham?

  Jane, how are you? Hey, Rick. I'm afraid we have a problem. Oh, what happened? Well, Jack's sick. He's got tonsillitis. And with his sinus issue the way it is, the doctor says he can't fly. But the test is tomorrow. No. Can't he just push through it? Well, the doctor was very clear, no flying. Well, okay, okay. We, yeah. I guess we can reschedule. There's a three-week window to take the ACT, so it won't be a problem. But he's got his surgery coming up, remember? He can't fly for two weeks after that. All right. This is so frustrating. Yeah, well, these things happen, I guess. If the doctor says he can't fly, then there's not much we can do. Can you cancel the proctor's flight? He may already be in the air.

• 24:31Lindsay Graham?

  Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry. Jack just got sick at the worst possible time. But suddenly, an idea comes to her, and Buckingham stops pacing. Well, Rick, there's no way for Jack not to go and it still be done, I assume. What do you mean? And have Mark do it instead? Um, well, actually, maybe. It might make it easier for him because it would take less time, but I'd have to talk to Nikki, the gal who runs the school, and see what she says. Okay. And there's one more thing. Well, of course there is. Jack can't know. Oh, no, of course not. Yeah, but if he doesn't take the test, he'll start asking questions when the results come back. Can you give me a test to take at home? I can supervise Jack myself. It's just so the story stays consistent.

• 25:13Lindsay Graham?

  He'll, he'll sit at the dining room table, fill it out, and think he's taking the ACT. Singer is silent for a moment. Well, I guess we could do something like that, but, you know, you're asking a lot of me. Buckingham smiles to spite herself. Yeah. And then I need you to cure cancer and make peace in the Middle East. Well, I appreciate you have confidence in my abilities. Look, if we're gonna do this, I'm gonna need a sample of Jack's handwriting. Well, I can send that over right away. Okay, all right. Well, I guess I gotta make some calls.

• 25:49Lindsay Graham?

  Jane Buckingham stares up toward the second floor. Somewhere upstairs, her son is entirely unaware of the increasingly elaborate deception being arranged on his behalf. And by the evening, the revised plan is fully in place. Despite the unusual circumstances, test center administrator Nikki Williams and proctor Mark Riddell both agreed to proceed. So the next morning, Jack's official ACT goes forward without him. At the Houston High School, Williams signs the documentation certifying that the test has been administered according to ACT regulations. So on paper, everything appears proper. The student attended, the testing center honored his approved accommodations, and the procedures followed official standards. But none of that is true.

• 26:33Lindsay Graham?

  Instead, Riddell completes the ACT himself from his Houston hotel room. He's well-practiced at imitating a student's performance and knows how to produce scores high enough to impress admissions offices without appearing suspicious. A few days later, Jack sits alone at the dining room table in his Los Angeles home. Buckingham hands her son the ACT materials Rick Singer emailed over. She settles into the role of proctor, monitoring the clock and making sure Jack doesn't use his phone or any other unauthorized materials. So to Jack, the setup appears entirely legitimate. As far as he understands it, this is simply an improved accommodation because of his illness and extra time requirements. So he works steadily through the sections, unaware that his answers will never matter.

• 27:18Lindsay Graham?

  When he's finished, Buckingham collects the papers, slides them into an envelope, and mails the completed test to Singer. But it's all just a ruse to maintain the illusion. Singer does nothing with the papers, and Jack has no reason to suspect that a fraudulent answer sheet has already been submitted on his behalf. When the results arrive, his new score is 35 out of 36, and that places him among the strongest candidates in the country. Shortly after, his mother wires $35,000 to Singer's charitable foundation as partial payment toward the agreed $50,000 fee. The money is split three ways: to Williams, to Riddell, and to Singer himself. Months pass by, and by the end of October 2018, life in the Buckingham household has

• 28:03Lindsay Graham?

  largely returned to normal. The panic surrounding Jack's illness and ACT now feels like a distant, bad memory. Jane Buckingham is cleaning the kitchen when her phone buzzes. The caller ID shows Singer's name, so she answers immediately, pinning the phone between her shoulder and her ear while she finishes wiping the countertop. On the other end of the line, Singer announces that he's in Boston on business, but he wanted to check in while he has a free moment. As he talks, Buckingham wanders slowly through the kitchen toward the living room windows. Singer asks about Jack first, whether he's doing okay, whether he's still in the dark about the plot to cheat on his test. This question makes Buckingham pause because she admits that there was some awkwardness after the ACT.

• 28:48Lindsay Graham?

  Still completely unaware of the deception, Jack mentioned to classmates that he'd taken the test at home. Word of this unique arrangement then spread, and a few mothers began asking Buckingham pointed questions. They wanted to know how Jack had been permitted to take the ACT privately at home because none of them had ever heard of testing agencies allowing that kind of arrangement. But Buckingham reassures Singer that the curiosity eventually faded. It was just competitive parents collecting information, no doubt wondering whether they could secure similar accommodations for their children. Buckingham is confident the whole thing is long forgotten. Singer is glad to hear that and then asks about Buckingham's younger daughter, whether she will want to repeat the process.

• 29:30Lindsay Graham?

  Buckingham moves toward the couch and lowers herself onto the cushions. She admits that her daughter is not a great test taker, and because of that Buckingham probably wants to do the same thing with her eventually. Still, there will be a slight difference this time. Buckingham's daughter is not aiming for the same schools or programs as Jack, and she doesn't need such an elite score. Buckingham explains that a thirty-two or thirty-three out of thirty-six would make her competitive for the colleges she wants. This tactical talk is a bit strange for Buckingham. Only a year earlier, the idea of secretly manipulating test results had felt unthinkable. But now Buckingham is discussing it the same way other parents might contemplate hiring a tutor or booking extra prep sessions.

• 30:12Lindsay Graham?

  Singer's arrangement has worked for her once, and there's no reason to think it won't work again. But Rick Singer's scheme is no longer a secret. His entire fraudulent business empire is about to come crashing down, and it's going to take Jane Buckingham with it.

• 30:31Speaker 06

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• 31:01Speaker 05

  Journalist Tristan Redman goes where no son-in-law should ever go. Deep into his wife's family history, digging up the cold case of who murdered her great-grandmother. Because, I should mention, he thinks the murderer might actually be the beloved family patriarch. For the best binge-watch series like Ghost Story, listen to the Audible True Crime Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

• 31:33Lindsay Graham?

  At the same time as Rick Singer is arranging for wealthy families to cheat on standardized tests, other clients continue to move through his so-called "side door," gaining admission to elite universities by posing as recruited athletes. One of the figures in Singer's ever-expanding network is Rudy Meredith, the women's soccer coach at Yale University. Singer usually acts as the broker in these arrangements, connecting parents who can pay with coaches. But over time, Meredith has become more confident in the process. And by 2017, he's no longer waiting for Singer to bring him opportunities, he starts looking for them himself. And that summer, Meredith spots a potential target: the youngest daughter of Los Angeles stockbroker Maury Tobin.

• 32:16Lindsay Graham?

  Tobin attended Yale himself and wants all six of his children to follow in his footsteps. Three of his kids have already gotten into the school, but he's nervous about the prospects of his youngest daughter. She attends an elite, all-girls private school in LA and is an excellent student, but like so many other parents, Tobin is worried that's not enough. And during a visit to see his older children at Yale, he meets Rudy Meredith. During their conversation, Coach Meredith quietly hints that he may be able to remove the uncertainty about Tobin's daughter's application. He can recommend her as a walk-on soccer recruit. Both men understand that this is not a favor, it's a transaction, and Tobin agrees to pay Meredith somewhere in the six-figure range. Soon afterward, the payments begin.

• 33:00Lindsay Graham?

  Month after month, Tobin wires money to Meredith, and he quickly gets used to the supplement to his salary. He purchases a vacation home in Florida and takes out a loan of more than $350,000 for renovations and home improvements, confident that the money needed to pay it off will keep coming. Then, when Tobin's daughter applies to Yale, Meredith follows through on his side of the deal. He flags her as a walk-on recruit for his squad, and soon Tobin's daughter is excitedly posting on Instagram that she's committed to playing soccer at Yale. Meredith understands that what he's doing is unethical, even unlawful. But what he doesn't realize is that his business relationship with the Tobin family carries an extra hidden danger, because Maury Tobin has committed more serious crimes than just

• 33:44Lindsay Graham?

  college admissions fraud. Back in 2013, Tobin participated in a pump-and-dump stock scheme. He artificially inflated the values of shares he secretly controlled through misleading promotions and coordinated trading activity. Once the stock price rose high enough, Tobin and other insiders sold their shares for huge profits, while ordinary investors were left holding the bag. This fraudulent scheme made him a fortune, and it had seemed long in the past until one morning in March 2018, when there's a sudden hammering on the front door of Tobin's seven-bedroom mansion. Tobin stumbles down the stairs, puzzled as to who can be creating such a racket. He opens the door in his pajamas and a robe, his hair flattened from the pillow.

• 34:28Lindsay Graham?

  Outside, there's a convoy of black SUVs in his driveway and a federal agent on the doorstep. The man flashes a badge and presents a search warrant. Tobin steps aside, and FBI agents spread through the mansion with practiced efficiency. Some head directly toward Tobin's home office, others begin photographing the rooms, opening drawers, and unplugging electronics. Tobin sinks heavily onto the living room couch while his wife hovers nearby, trying to comfort their distraught teenage daughters. But Tobin says little. He looks glum rather than shocked, because deep down, he's always known that this was possible. Still, he convinced himself that the complexity of the financial system meant that he'd gotten away with it.

• 35:10Lindsay Graham?

  As the search continues, Tobin leans forward slightly on the couch, elbows on his knees. He's already trying to think ahead. Now that his pump-and-dump scheme has likely been uncovered, Tobin knows that he's in a vulnerable position. The optics are terrible: a wealthy investor manipulating markets to become even richer. Prosecutors won't hold back, and jurors won't give him the benefit of the doubt. At the very least, he's looking at a severe financial penalty, and there's the real possibility of prison time. But somewhere within the tangled web of Tobin's business dealings, he wonders if there might be information valuable enough to trade, something prosecutors will want badly enough to reduce the punishment that's surely heading his way.

• 35:51Lindsay Graham?

  And by the time he meets with investigators in Boston, his decision is already made: he's going to cooperate. Tobin begins the interview with his stock manipulation scheme, demonstrating his willingness to assist. But that's not all he offers. As the questioning continues, the conversation shifts from his own conduct to others, and Tobin recognizes the moment as the opening he needs. He tells the investigators about a second conspiracy, but this one isn't about financial markets or stock manipulation. It concerns college admissions. Tobin outlines his secret payments to Yale women's soccer coach Rudy Meredith. In return, he says Meredith falsely designated his youngest daughter as a walk-on recruit, guaranteeing her spot at the university.

• 36:35Lindsay Graham?

  Though this has nothing to do with the financial crimes that triggered the investigation, Tobin can tell from the agents' faces that they're interested. By the time the meeting ends, Tobin has recast himself as a cooperating witness. His new role doesn't necessarily mean he'll avoid prison, but it could significantly reduce the punishment the prosecutors push for. And soon afterward, investigators come back with a request for Tobin. They want his help to gather evidence against his co-conspirator. Tobin and Meredith have not settled on a total price for the spot at Yale, so federal agents instruct Tobin to arrange a meeting with Meredith at a hotel in Boston to finalize the deal. With an array of hidden surveillance equipment recording everything, it will be up to Tobin

• 37:18Lindsay Graham?

  to get Meredith to say something incriminating on tape. And not long after, the two men meet in a room at the Long Wharf Marriott in April 2018. Coach Meredith sets a coffee down on the side table, gives Tobin a quizzical look. You okay, Maury? Yeah, I'm fine. Well, you seem a little jumpy today. Tobin takes a seat across from him and forces a thin smile. Uh, you know, travel. I didn't sleep well. He reaches into his coat and places a small stack of cash on the table between them. Meredith glances at it, but doesn't pick it up. What's this? Your latest payment of $2,000. Well, you normally wire it. Well, now it just seems a waste not to use this opportunity, right?

• 38:03Lindsay Graham?

  One less payment they can trace, right? Meredith studies him for a moment, then shrugs and slips the cash into his jacket without counting it. Tobin continues. And that reminds me, we need to discuss the full amount. We haven't decided on that. Meredith leans back. Four fifty. $450,000. That's what it takes. Tobin looks down. He knows he won't actually have to pay. Investigators will put a stop to the scheme now that they have Meredith on tape accepting a bribe. But he isn't sure whether haggling would make the charade seem more realistic. So after a moment, he decides just to get the meeting over with as soon as possible. All right, four fifty it is. Tobin stretches out his hand, and the two men shake.

• 38:46Lindsay Graham?

  Tobin holds on for a fraction longer than necessary, determined for the cameras to capture it. You know, my daughter's thrilled. You really came through for us. Well, I don't do this for just anyone. Other guys would charge you a lot more. You make it sound like this happens all the time. Yeah, more than you think. Tobin's mind races. He knows that information about other conspirators will be valuable to the investigators. So there are more people doing this? Oh, yeah. There's this one college counselor out west, Rick Singer. That's how it got started. He's got coaches in his pocket all across the country. Believe me, I am small-time compared to him. After this meeting, stockbroker Maury Tobin flies back to Los Angeles, leaving the FBI with a new mystery to solve.

• 39:30Lindsay Graham?

  This is an investigation that keeps evolving. At first, federal agents believed they were dealing with a straightforward case of financial fraud. The inquiry into that then exposed what appeared to be a single corrupt soccer coach at Yale. But now Rudy Meredith has revealed something bigger. For years, college admissions has operated in murky territory, where wealth, status, and influence can open hidden doors. But if what Meredith says is true, there is something else at work: a secret network linking wealthy parents, compromised coaches, and illegal payments. And standing in the center of it all is corrupt college counselor Rick Singer.

• 40:11Lindsay Graham?

  From Audible Originals, this is episode three of Operation Varsity Blues for American Scandal. In our next episode, federal investigators uncover Rick Singer's college admissions scheme and the fraudulent actions taken by some of America's most privileged families.

• 40:31Lindsay Graham?

  American Scandal is only possible because of listeners like you, so thank you. And don't miss an episode. Be sure to follow American Scandal on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts. And Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. And to find out more about me, including my other podcasts, my live show, the history tours I'm arranging, and all sorts of other things, go to historyishuman.com. That's historyishuman.com.

• 41:05Lindsay Graham?

  If you'd like to learn more about the college admissions scandal, we recommend Unacceptable: Privilege, Deceit, and the Making of the College Admission Scandal by Melissa Korn and Jennifer Levitz; Guilty Admissions: The Bribes, Favors, and Phones Behind the College Cheating Scandal by Nicole Laporte; and the Netflix documentary, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admission Scandal. This episode contains reenactments and dramatized details. And while in most cases we can't know exactly what was said, all our dramatizations are based on historical research. American Scandal is hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham, for Airship. This episode is written and researched by Scott Reeves, senior producer Andy Beckerman, managing producer Emily Byrne, fact checking by Alyssa

• 41:48Lindsay Graham?

  Jung Perry, audio editing by Mohamed Shazi, original music by Thrum, sound design by Gabriel Ghul. Executive producer for Airship is William Simpson. Executive producer for Audible is Jenny Lauer Beckman. Head of creative development at Audible, Kate Navin. Head of Audible Originals North America, Marshall Louis. Chief content officer, Rachel Giatza.

• 42:08Lindsay Graham?

  Copyright 2026 by Audible Originals LLC. Sound recording copyright 2026 by Audible Originals LLC.

• 42:22Speaker 07

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• 43:01Speaker 07

  stalking those she loves, only to discover Dracula's already hunting her. Audible's Dracula invites you to welcome literature's most shadowy figure into your home. Listen to the new audiobook adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, only on Audible.