Host Gregg N. Sofer welcomes Husch Blackwell partner Cormac Connor to the program to discuss the First Circuit’s reversals of the criminal convictions previously handed down in connection with two parents’ involvement in the so-called Varsity Blues scandal. Operation Varsity Blues was a joint investigation led by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts into a web of bribery and fraud directed toward college admissions. The investigation was huge, spanning multiple states and involving dozens of See more +

Host Gregg N. Sofer welcomes Husch Blackwell partner Cormac Connor to the program to discuss the First Circuit’s reversals of the criminal convictions previously handed down in connection with two parents’ involvement in the so-called Varsity Blues scandal. Operation Varsity Blues was a joint investigation led by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts into a web of bribery and fraud directed toward college admissions. The investigation was huge, spanning multiple states and involving dozens of individuals, including college coaches, testing administrators, and of course, parents, some of whom were high-profile celebrities and business executives.

Of all the parents charged, only two chose to fight the government at trial and through to appeal, and their position was vindicated by the First Circuit. We will explore the strategy pursued by the government and how it unraveled before the appellate court, as well as some the finer points of conspiracy law featured in the case. See less -