Amazon Studios’ Jennifer Salke Says Family Engaged Only ‘Legitimate Services’ of Counselor Tied to College Admissions Scandal

“We never engaged in any discussion involving any illegal activity,” Salke and her husband said in a statement

Jennifer Salke
Getty

Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke and her husband have released a statement addressing their connection to the college admissions scandal and its ringleader William “Rick” Singer, denying ever having participated in any wrongdoing or being contacted by investigators in the case.

In a joint statement with her husband Bert, Salke said her family “engaged the legitimate services of Rick Singer’s company, The Key Worldwide,” including college counseling and ACT Test tutoring for her daughters. The Salkes denied any connection with the college admissions fraud scandal which saw Singer plead guilty in court earlier this year.

“We never engaged in any discussion involving any illegal activity in any of those meetings,” the Salkes said. “Our daughters did not apply to college as athletes of any kind, nor did they apply to any of the since-exposed schools involved in the scandal. We have never written a check or sent any other type of payment to the fraudulent Key Worldwide Foundation. We have never been contacted by law enforcement (including the DOJ and the FBI) about this case.”

Singer admitted in court to orchestrating a conspiracy to help students gain admission into the college of their choice, charging parents for services ranging from allowing extra time on tests to faking student athletic records to get them into elite-level colleges and universities. The scandal led to dozens of indictments, including for “Desperate Housewives” star Felicity Huffman, who plead guilty earlier this year, and “Fuller House’s” Lori Loughlin, who did not.

On Friday, Variety reported that Salke and her husband had been investigated by federal agents because of their connection to Singer.  “The Salkes were never contacted by investigators, and the source says there does not appear to be enough evidence to prove wrongdoing,” the report said. “They are among the hundreds of parents who retained the services of Rick Singer, the Newport Beach college admissions consultant at the center of the scandal.”

Read the Salke’s full statement below:

We are releasing this statement to clarify an issue which has become increasingly of interest to
various members of the press.

Like many other families, we engaged the legitimate services of Rick Singer’s company, The Key Worldwide, to provide college counseling and tutoring services for our children.

Singer’s company provided our daughters with a tutor for ACT testing and guidance on the college application process. Our daughters took the ACT test in an official testing facility, which included a proctor. Neither were allotted extra time or required any assistance. Rick Singer provided periodic in person counseling, primarily related to college selection. We never engaged in any discussion involving any illegal activity in any of those meetings. Our daughters did not apply to college as athletes of any kind, nor did they apply to any of the since-exposed schools involved in the scandal. We have never written a check or sent any other type of payment to the fraudulent Key Worldwide Foundation. We have never been contacted by law enforcement (including the DOJ and the FBI) about this case.

Our girls graduated with outstanding academic records at the very top of their class from a highly competitive high school. They applied to college in a standard manner and the only payment we made to any university was for the processing of their applications. We are proud of their accomplishments.

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