Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli got very bad news Friday when a judge refused to dismiss the charges against them for their role in the college admissions scandal.
Fox News reported that U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton rejected Loughlin and Giannulli’s bid to throw out their indictment over allegations of misconduct on the part of the FBI agents investigating the case. The judge also refused their attempt to block prosecutors from presenting certain secretly recorded phone calls at trial.
“The Court is satisfied that the government’s counsel has not lied to or attempted to mislead the Court or fabricated evidence,” Gorton stated in his ruling.
Loughlin and Giannulli are set to go to trial in October for allegedly paying $500,000 in bribe money to have their two daughters admitted to the University of Southern California as members of the crew team, even though neither girl had ever rowed before. The couple, who are each facing 45 years in prison if convicted on all charges, has denied any wrongdoing, claiming that they thought the money was a legitimate donation to the school, rather than a bribe.
THEY WERE CONFIDENT OF A DISMISSAL
Apparently, they were confident the judge would rule in their favor. The more they fight the case, the worse it gets in terms of charges and possible length of imprisonment.
“Lori’s lawyers feel they have a very strong chance of having the charges dismissed because prosecutors withheld key evidence that [mastermind] Rick Singer was pressured by the FBI to lie in the course of his conversations with Lori,” a source close to the couple told Us Weekly earlier in the week. “It was entrapment, misleading a defendant so that Rick could get a favorable sentence for his role. Rick was the mastermind in all of this.”
The allegations of misconduct stem from notes written by Rick Singer, the named mastermind behind the scheme. He claimed in the notes that FBI agents had directed him to lie about how much Loughlin, Giannulli, and the other parents knew about what the money they were handing over would be used for.
“They continue to ask me to tell a fib and not restate what I told my clients as to where their money was going — to the program, not the coach and that it was a donation and they want it to be a payment,” Singer wrote, according to court documents.
JUST WANTED TO CORROBORATE, NOT FABRICATE
The judge originally said the notes were “serious and disturbing.” He chided the prosecution for not handing the notes over sooner. Gorton said in his ruling Friday that not handing the notes over was “irresponsible and misguided,” but not “willful.” They just wanted to corroborate and fabricate. The defendants will have “ample opportunity” to cross-examine Singer at trial.
“Whether Singer’s calls in October 2018, were consistent with his prior representations of his ‘program’ and whether they demonstrate that defendants believed their payments to be legitimate donations rather than bribes is an issue squarely for the jury after a trial on the merits,” the judge wrote.
However, nothing changes the fact that the actor and her husband faked the photos of the daughters’ crewing. They also paid a lot of money for the placements — $500,000.
The parents shouldn’t have done it but slapping a possible sentence of 45 years because they wouldn’t cop a plea seems a bit abusive. Every time these parents, who do appear quite guilty, insisted on fighting the charges, the prosecutors added more charges. It seems like punishment for them wanting to exercise their rights. It’s a paper crime but people like Jim Comey go free.
In any case, the parents appear to have no case. However, is this over-prosecution?
These scandals are widespread, don’t just make an example of a few people, that is not justice.
Many aren’t aware of how much this goes on w/uber wealthy parents. It also seems the bigger their wealth the more they assume they can get out of things. And that is usually the case;)
Solution? Rather than put them in jail – which does no one any good, have them PAY for say, 10 or 20 underprivileged kids to go to school at USC…FREE. Make the parents pay – and get some good out of it. Assuming that would cost a million or two or more?, get some GOOD out of this. Make them… Read more »
That would be the better option plus the money already paid by all of these people should be used in the same way. It is really starting to sound like another witch-hunt. the person doing 45 years should be the instigator and those who received the money,not the parents who just wanted to spoil spoilt children.
While the details aren’t specific enough, it doesn’t sound like an entrapment situation. I Do find it a travesty that one who decides to fight a charge is saddled with additional charges or time. It’s an indication of a weak case. It would be similar in cases where we are told this person has a long rap sheet. It could… Read more »
Evidence indicates they are guilty and think people are stupid.