Every scandal begins with a lie. But the truth will come out. And then comes the fallout and the outrage.
Scandals have shaped America since its founding. From business and politics to sports and society, we look on aghast as corruption, deceit and ambition bring down heroes and celebrities, politicians and moguls. And when the dust finally settles, we’re left to wonder: how did this happen? Where did they trip up, and who is to blame? From the creators of American History Tellers, Business Wars and Tides of History comes American Scandal, where we take you deep into the heart of America’s…
This American Scandal episode examines the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal through a systemic lens rather than focusing solely on the criminal conspiracy. The episode features journalist Paul Tough, who contextualizes the scandal within decades of structural changes in higher education. The core argument is…
Worth it if you want to understand the Varsity Blues scandal as a symptom of deeper problems in higher education rather than just a criminal story, or if you're interested in how wealth shapes educational access.
This episode of American Scandal covers the federal investigation into Rick Singer's college admissions bribery scheme, commonly known as 'Varsity Blues.' The episode focuses on how investigators uncovered Singer's operation, which involved wealthy parents paying bribes to get their children admitted to elite…
Worth it if you're following the full Varsity Blues series or interested in how federal investigations uncover white-collar crime schemes.
This is a 5-minute preview episode for a 10-part true crime investigation series titled 'My Mom's Murder.' The episode introduces Lauren Malloy, who discovers at age 30 that her mother Lori was murdered in East Providence, Rhode Island—not, as she'd been told her entire life, a victim of natural causes. The preview…
Worth it if you're already interested in true crime and willing to subscribe to Audible to hear the full 10-part series, but not as a satisfying episode on its own.
This is the third episode in American Scandal's series on the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal. The episode focuses on Rick Singer's expansion of his illicit scheme, specifically detailing how he leveraged a network of corrupt insiders—including test administrators, proctors, and other institutional figures—to…
Worth it if you're following the Varsity Blues series and want to understand how test-score manipulation worked operationally within the scheme.
This episode is part two of American Scandal's coverage of the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal. The episode focuses on Rick Singer, the independent college counselor who orchestrated one of the largest fraud schemes in U.S. education history. The narrative centers on Singer's discovery and exploitation of a…
Worth it if you're following the full American Scandal series on Varsity Blues or want a narrative breakdown of how Rick Singer built his admissions fraud scheme.
This is the first episode of a multi-part series on the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal, the largest college admissions fraud case in U.S. history. The episode introduces the central figure: Rick Singer, a charismatic college counselor who positioned himself as an expert in navigating the increasingly…
Worth it if you're interested in the Varsity Blues scandal and prefer narrative podcast treatment over documentary formats, or if you're starting a series and want foundational context.
