Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli plead not guilty in college admissions bribery case
According to The Hollywood Reporter, actress Lori Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, have officially pled not guilty in the college admissions bribery scandal now widely known as Operation Varsity Blues. Their charges include money laundering after allegedly paying $500,000 to get their daughters into USC.
Court documents containing the official plea were filed on Monday. Neither Loughlin nor Giannulli appeared in court for arraignment. The couple was indicted last week on charges of mail fraud and money laundering, which carry a potential sentence of 40 years in prison. Since the scandal broke, Loughlin has been dropped by Hallmark, including the series When Calls The Heart, in which she formerly starred. They have yet to publicly address the allegations.
Fellow actress and scandal headliner Felicity Huffman pled guilty in a statement of remorse, where she admitted to paying $15,000 in exchange for extended time for her daughter to complete her SATs. 13 parents and one coach also joined her in entering guilty pleas while several other indicted parents are reportedly pleading no guilt.