Top Law Firm’s Chairman on Leave After Being Charged in College Cheating Scandal
Gordon Caplan stands accused of spending $75,000 on a bribe to cheat his daughter’s way into college.
Stephanie Mahe/Reuters
Willkie Farr & Gallagher co-chairman Gordon Caplan has been placed on leave after a blockbuster federal complaint accused him of spending $75,000 on a bribe to boost his daughter’s ACT scores. “As widely reported, one of our partners, Gordon Caplan, was among the persons charged in the college admissions matter. This is a personal matter and does not involve Willkie or any of its clients,” the firm wrote in a statement sent to The Daily Beast. “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 complaint accuses Caplan of paying middleman William Singer to hire someone to correct his daughter’s ACT exam once she had taken it, at a testing center in West Hollywood where Singer had bribed administrators. Singer and Caplan allegedly conspired to help his daughter, who had previously only scored a 22 on the exam, earn a 32. Caplan, along with 31 other parents, was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud Tuesday.
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