It was because the bribes benefited a small number of administrators instead of being equitably distributed across administrators

No, it's because the money went to individual employees directly, rather than being received by the institution.

While I was being glib, that is an insignificant detail in the context of this post about legacy admissions.

The point is you can gain admission via some nebulous definition of merit, some combination of merit and knowing someone who gained admission before, or paying for admission.

Also, while the “institution” receives the money, I guarantee some people (the highest admins and their friends - fund managers, construction contractors, etc) gain more than most others (e.g. adjunct teachers and students).

You’re defining a country club. Every layer of our society grosses me out.