Trump pardons USC dad accused of buying daughter’s admission


By
 in , ,
In front of a red brick buildings stands Tommy Trojan, a bronze statue of a trojan holding a shield
Robert Zangrillo allegedly paid a $250,000 bribe to secure his daughter’s admission to the University. His daughter’s application included classes she never took and a fabricated rowing commitment. (Vincent Leo | Daily Trojan)

Miami developer Robert Zangrillo, accused of guaranteeing his daughter’s admission to USC through bribery and fraud, was pardoned by former President Donald Trump early Wednesday. Zangrillo is the only parent implicated in the college admissions scandal who has received a full pardon from his charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

Zangrillo, just one of the 11 USC parents entangled in Operation Varsity Blues, received a “full pardon” in the final hours of Trump’s presidency, according to a White House news release. Zangrillo allegedly paid $250,000 to secure his daughter’s admission to the University.

The news release acknowledged Zangrillo’s charge, but stated that Zangrillo’s “daughter did not have others take standardized tests for her” and was “currently earning a 3.9 GPA at the University of Southern California.” A University spokesperson confirmed that Zangrillo’s daughter is not currently enrolled, according to The New York Times.

The news release also stated that Zangrillo’s pardon was supported by Tom Barrack, a USC trustee since 2012. Barrack also served as the chairman of Trump’s inaugural committee and is a close friend of the departed president.

A spokesperson for Barrack told the Daily Trojan the trustee had no connection to Zangrillo’s pardon. 

“[Barrack] never intervened and never had discussion with anyone about it,” the spokesperson said in an email. “All reports to the contrary are patently false.”

Following Zangrillo’s daughter’s initial rejection to the University around 2017, investigators intercepted a conversation between him and William “Rick” Singer, a key middle man in the Varsity Blues scandal. According to court documents, Singer told Zangrillo he could secure his daughter’s admission to the University as an athletic recruit.

Prosecutors alleged Zangrillo sent $200,000 to Singer and $50,000 to USC’s Women’s Athletics. His daughter’s application also included a false record of completed classes — taken instead by Singer’s employee Mikaela Sanford — and a fabricated rowing commitment. 

In 2019, Zangrillo’s lawyers argued that Zangrillo’s payment was a legitimate donation to the University and could not be distinguished from the “vast numbers of other donations by parents of students made to USC,” according to a court filing. 

A USC media representative stated that no statement will be released on the issue.

Of the over 10 universities involved in the college admission scandal, USC had the highest number of high profile cases and students admitted through bribes. 

In May, “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer, Mossimo Giannulli, pled guilty to fraud, following accusations of paying $500,000 to ensure their daughters’ admission to the University as fake athletic recruits. Following months of denying involvement, Loughlin was sentenced to two months in prison and Giannulli to five months. Loughlin was released in December, with Giannulli set to be released in April.

Three other USC parents — Devin Sloane, Jeffrey Bizzack and Agustin Huneeus Jr. — were sentenced to prison late 2019 after pleading guilty to their involvement in the college admissions scandal.