It's an interesting claim, but as Lori Loughlin’s lawyers see it, she and husband Massimo Giannulli had every belief that the $500-thousand they shelled out to get their daughters into USC was a legitimate ‘donation.’
Not so, say prosecutors. In an interview with the FBI, Rick Singer– the admitted mastermind of a nationwide college admissions scam – claims Loughlin knew exactly what was happening – and so did Giannulli.
Why? Because Singer says he himself warned Giannulli himself that the dean at the daughters’ high school started asking questions about how Olivia Jade, the couple's younger daughter, got into USC as a crew recruit...when she didn’t even row. It’s alleged that Giannulli told the dean that his daughter had been rowing at a private club.
·In all, 53 people have been charged in the “Varsity Blues” college admissions case. Of those, 30 – including Felicity Huffman – have either pleaded guilty or agreed to plead guilty later while the remaining 23 prepare for trial. Loughlin and Giannulli are among those digging in and maintaining their innocence.
Source:USA Today