Calif. Senator Dianne Feinstein's Husband Named in College Admissions Scandal
Jeff Chiu/AP/Shutterstock Sen. Dianne Feinstein, right, smiles next to husband Richard Blum at a 2018 election night event in San Francisco.
California Sen. Dianne Feinstein's husband Richard Blum was named by the state auditors office for playing a "particularly problematic" role in the college admissions scandal, which has brought charges against celebrities, business leaders, college coaches, and wealthy parents alike.
The report by California State Auditor Elaine M. Howle released this week cites a university Board of Regents member, who the Associated Press confirmed was, in fact, Blum.
According to the state audit, Blum, 85, was among the university officials who played a role in helping students get accepted into the University of California school system. The audit report also claims students were “inappropriately admitted" based on personal connections while more qualified students had applications rejected.
In one instance described in the state audit, Blum sent an "inappropriate letter of support" to UC Berkeley's chancellor, advocating for one student on the university's applicant waiting list, according to the audit, which reported that the student had a 26-percent chance of being accepted.
Blum's letter of support made its way to the university's development office, "which in turn forwarded the letter to the admissions office," according to the report, which reviewed the school's admissions process between the years of 2013-18.
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Chris Kleponis-Pool/Getty From left to right: Richard Blum and Sen. Dianne Feinstein in 2015.
Blum, who is a financier, told The San Francisco Chronicle on Thursday that he believes he did nothing wrong and that he routinely did this to help students with connections to staff get accepted into the university.
“I did it a bunch of times,” Blum told the newspaper. “Usually [for] friends. My cousin’s brother wanted to get into Davis. They’d send me a letter and tell me why it’s a good kid, and I’ll send it on to the chancellor. Been doing it forever.”
Sen. Feinstein's office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
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Sal Veder/AP/Shutterstock Richard Blum and Sen. Dianne Feinstein
In a statement on Tuesday, UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ called the details described in the audit as "highly disturbing" and vowed an investigation by the university. "These allegations, if true, are unacceptable, especially in our community where excellence, fairness and equity are our core values," Christ said. "We are committed to getting to the bottom of this."
The 2019 college admissions scandal resulted in federal charges being brought against a number of wealthy parents, including actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, which have resulted in brief prison sentences for both celebrities.
Blum, however, didn't seem concerned when reached by the San Jose newspaper The Mercury News on Thursday. “I find this to be much ado about nothing," Blum said.
