Lori Loughlin Pleads Not Guilty in College Admissions Scandal
UPDATED (4/15/2019):
As of Monday, April 15, Lori Loughlin and her designer husband Mossimo Giannulli are pleading not guilty in the college admission bribery scheme of which they’ve been indicted.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the couple filed papers waiving their right to appear in court for an arraignment and plead not guilty. They were indicted along with dozens of other parents, some of which are also entering not guilty pleas.
UPDATED (4/9/2019):
Lori Loughlin has now been indicted on a new charge of money laundering, which adds to a previous charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
The actress and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are among 16 parents who are being indicted on the charges just a day after 14 other defendants plead guilty in the case according to Variety. Among one of the parents that plead guilty the day prior, was actress Felicity Huffman.
UPDATED (4/8/2019):
Actress Felicity Huffman will plead guilty along with other parents following the college admissions bribery scandal.
The announcement was made by the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Monday, April 8. Huffman was charged on one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud after she allegedly paid $15,000 to admissions consultant William Singer to get her daughter a better SAT score..
“I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions,” Huffman said in a statement. “I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community. I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.”
(Credit: Getty Images)
ORIGINAL STORY (4/3/2019):
Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman have both arrived in court today, April 3, to face charges relating to the college bribery scandal.
The two actresses, along with 13 other parents, are set to face a federal judge in Boston, which is where they — and the 50 other parents indicted in this case — have been charged.
Though Loughlin’s husband, Mossimo Giannulli, will be in attendance for the court date, Huffman’s husband, William H. Macy, was not charged.
It’s unclear whether they will face jail time for their crimes, but a source connected to the prosecution told TMZ any plea will come with a recommendation that the parents serve jail time.
Felicity Huffman has arrived at Federal Court in Boston. @NBC10Boston @necn pic.twitter.com/wM4U5moyvb
— Abbey Niezgoda NBC10 Boston (@AbbeyNBCBoston) April 3, 2019
“You can’t have people being treated differently because they have money. That’s how we got to this place. Every defendant will be treated the same,” the source shared.
However, if there is a plea bargain, the prosecutors will not have the final say in whether or not they go to jail. In fact, the judge will have the final say on what ends up happening.
Both Huffman and Loughlin each face up to five years in prison for committing mail fraud.
While Loughlin and her husband have been accused of paying $500,000 to get both of their daughters into the University of Southern California, Huffman is accused of paying $15,000 for someone to take the SAT for her eldest daughter.
