University of Illinois clout scandal

The University of Illinois clout scandal resulted from a series of articles in the Chicago Tribune which reported that some applicants to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) "received special consideration" for acceptance between 2005 and 2009, despite having sub-par qualifications. The series began on May 29, 2009. An investigatory committee appointed by Illinois governor Pat Quinn was formed a few weeks later. The controversy led to the resignation of B. Joseph White, president of the University of Illinois, who oversaw the three campuses in the University system, and Richard Herman, chancellor of UIUC. The scandal eventually spread to include evidence of graft by members of the Board of Trustees, resulting in the resignation of seven of the nine members.

On May 29, 2009, the Chicago Tribune published "Clout Goes to College," an article detailing preferential consideration to applicants with connections to politicians and university trustees. According to the article, some students were being admitted despite having sub-par qualifications. The investigation revealed that approximately 800 students over five years landed on the so-called "clout list" and, though not all were unworthy, the admission rate of these students was eight percentage points higher than the school average. One student was accepted into the graduate business school after having been rejected three times. Prior to acceptance, university officials did not confirm whether he had a bachelor's degree from an accredited university.

A panel appointed by the governor to investigate the scandal found that the Board of Trustees had acted improperly and exerted continuing pressure on University officials. The panel "put much of the blame on Richard Herman, chancellor of the university's flagship campus in Urbana-Champaign, saying his conduct was inconsistent with the university's 'principles of ethical conduct and fair dealing.'" Many of the thousands of pages of e-mails and other documents released by the university in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request involved communication with Herman. The panel also found fault with University president B. Joseph White. Upon first release, the most notable student to receive special consideration was a relative of Tony Rezko, who was convicted on sixteen charges of fraud and bribery and was a political contributor to then-governor Rod Blagojevich. In one email, White wrote to Urbana chancellor Herman that Blagojevich "has expressed his support, and would like to see admitted" two applicants, including Rezko's relative. The university had rejected the application of Rezko's relative earlier in the day, but later reversed the decision despite poor ACT scores. Other state officials implicated in providing special influence over admissions were Illinois Senate president John Cullerton,House Speaker Michael Madigan,state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, U.S. Representative Tim Johnson, and Illinois Representatives Bill Mitchell and Chapin Rose.

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