Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli ‘Just Wanted a Good Education for Their Kids’

Wire Service
By Wire Service
April 26, 2019Entertainment
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Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli ‘Just Wanted a Good Education for Their Kids’
Actress Lori Loughlin (front) and husband, clothing designer Mossimo Giannulli depart federal court in Boston on April 3, 2019. (Steven Senne/AP Photo)

Actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, maintain they are innocent of the charges against them in the college admissions scandal.

“This is not a story. This has become a total circus. They didn’t do anything wrong,” a source close to the couple told CNN.

Giannulli and Loughlin have both pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each of the charges is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors say Loughlin and Giannulli paid $500,000 to a fake charity to get their two daughters accepted into the University of Southern California, falsely designating them as crew team recruits.

The University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is pictured in L.A., Calif., on May 22, 2018. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

Defending the couple’s alleged actions, the source said, “They did what so many people in their financial situation do to get their kids into schools. What about the people that donate buildings to schools? Why are they becoming the poster children for things that have been going on forever? They didn’t do anything illegal. They just wanted a good education for their kids, like every parent does.”

“There was no bribe,” the source added. “They are solely focused on winning their legal case.”

On Thursday, the University of Southern California announced in a letter that it will change the admissions process for prospective student-athletes under consideration for the 2019-2020 academic year.

“Every student-athlete candidate’s file will be reviewed on three levels—by the head coach, the senior sports administrator overseeing the team, and the USC Office of Athletics Compliance—before being sent to the admissions staff. The head coach will certify in writing that the student is being recruited for athletic abilities. Athletic rosters will be audited at the beginning and end of every academic year and cross-checked with admissions lists.”

Jovan Vavic, former University of Southern California water polo coach
Jovan Vavic, former University of Southern California water polo coach, arrives at federal court in Boston on March 25, 2019, to face charges in a nationwide college admissions bribery scandal. (Steven Senne/AP)

The letter also addressed currently enrolled students who have been caught up in the scandal, stating those students have been notified of a review process that’s underway and given a deadline to respond. “The possible outcomes range from no finding of violation to revocation of admission, and will depend on the facts of each case,” the letter states.

The move comes two days after Laura Janke, the 36-year-old former assistant women’s soccer coach at USC, who, according to prosecutors, created fake athletic profiles for the children of wealthy parents, including Loughlin’s daughter Olivia Jade Giannulli, agreed to plead guilty.

NTD Photo
Olivia Jade Giannulli, 19, in a file photo. (Olivia Jade/Instagram)

Olivia Jade Could Be Implicated in College Scam

The social media influencer might be complicit in the college bribery scam.

According to Fox News, she was copied in an email that her mother sent to William “Rick” Singer, the main actor in the scam, on “how to proceed” in filling out Oliva Jade’s college applications after her “provisional acceptance as a recruited [crew] athlete.”

Federal officials have said that Loughlin and her husband paid $500,000 to get Oliva Jade and her sister, Isabella, into the University of Southern California as crew recruits when they weren’t involved in the sport.

A former federal prosecutor told Fox that prosecutors might be able to charge Olivia Jade, 19, if Loughlin and her husband, do not admit their guilt.

They pleaded not guilty earlier this month.

Epoch Times reporter Jack Phillips contributed to this report.

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