“We’re talking about deception and fraud.”The key distinction here is not just the amount of money, but the recipient. A donation is made to a college, while a bribe is paid to an employee who, in effect, is stealing an admissions slot, hawking it and pocketing the proceeds. (To comply with tax laws, donors also cannot engage in an explicit quid pro quo with a college. The allegations underscore the urgency many American parents feel about securing a place for their progeny at a selective college. According to the indictment, the organizers of the scheme pitched parents on the idea that everyone else was cheating, too.

Source: New York Times March 12, 2019 22:42 UTC