Key Takeaways
- • Mark Hauser, a private equity firm founder, contributed $10,000 to Vivek Ramaswamy's Ohio gubernatorial campaign on May 6, 2026, despite serving a two-month prison sentence in 2021 for his role in the college admissions fraud scandal (Operation Varsity Blues).
- • Hauser pleaded guilty in September 2020 to mail fraud and honest services fraud after paying William "Rick" Singer $40,000 to provide a test proctor who altered his daughter's ACT exam answers in Houston.
- • Hauser facilitated the connection between fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli and actress Lori Loughlin with Singer, positioning himself as a board chair at a Los Angeles high school attended by Giannulli and Loughlin's daughters at the time of the scheme.
- • Ramaswamy's campaign did not respond to inquiries regarding whether the contribution was refunded or retained, and did not address the apparent tension between accepting funds from a convicted fraudster and Ramaswamy's stated commitment to merit-based advancement in America.
Summary
Mark Hauser, founder of a private equity firm with offices in Cincinnati, Chicago, and Santa Monica, California, donated $10,000 to Vivek Ramaswamy's Ohio gubernatorial campaign and running mate Ohio Senate President Rob McColley on May 6, 2026. The contribution raises questions about the vetting of campaign donors, given Hauser's criminal history and previous incarceration related to one of the largest college admissions fraud schemes in U.S. history.
Hauser was sentenced to two months in prison in 2021 following his guilty plea in September 2020 to one count of mail fraud and honest services fraud. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Hauser paid Operation Varsity Blues mastermind William "Rick" Singer $40,000 to arrange for a proctor to administer an ACT test to Hauser's daughter in Houston. The proctor subsequently corrected the daughter's answers after she completed the exam, artificially inflating her test performance.
Beyond his own scheme, Hauser played a facilitating role in connecting other high-profile participants to Singer's fraud operation. Lawyers representing fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli and actress Lori Loughlin—known for her role as Aunt Becky on the television series "Full House"—indicated that Hauser recommended the couple work with Singer. At the time, Hauser served as board chair of a Los Angeles high school attended by Giannulli and Loughlin's daughters.
When contacted by Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, Ramaswamy's campaign declined to respond to questions about whether the $10,000 contribution was refunded or retained, and did not address how the donation aligns with Ramaswamy's public statements on merit-based achievement. In a 2023 Wall Street Journal op-ed written while Ramaswamy was running for president, he stated: "We must embrace merit in who gets to succeed in America." Hauser similarly did not respond to inquiries about his relationship with Ramaswamy or the status of the contribution.
Hauser was sentenced to two months in prison in 2021 following his guilty plea in September 2020 to one count of mail fraud and honest services fraud. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Hauser paid Operation Varsity Blues mastermind William "Rick" Singer $40,000 to arrange for a proctor to administer an ACT test to Hauser's daughter in Houston. The proctor subsequently corrected the daughter's answers after she completed the exam, artificially inflating her test performance.
Beyond his own scheme, Hauser played a facilitating role in connecting other high-profile participants to Singer's fraud operation. Lawyers representing fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli and actress Lori Loughlin—known for her role as Aunt Becky on the television series "Full House"—indicated that Hauser recommended the couple work with Singer. At the time, Hauser served as board chair of a Los Angeles high school attended by Giannulli and Loughlin's daughters.
When contacted by Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, Ramaswamy's campaign declined to respond to questions about whether the $10,000 contribution was refunded or retained, and did not address how the donation aligns with Ramaswamy's public statements on merit-based achievement. In a 2023 Wall Street Journal op-ed written while Ramaswamy was running for president, he stated: "We must embrace merit in who gets to succeed in America." Hauser similarly did not respond to inquiries about his relationship with Ramaswamy or the status of the contribution.
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