Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli plead not guilty in college admissions scandal

(Image credit: Joseph Prezioso / Getty Images)

published 15 April 2019

Lori Loughlin has pleaded not guilty to charges brought over her alleged role in a nationwide college admissions scam.

The Full House actress and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, on Monday entered not guilty pleas while waiving their right to be arraigned in court, The Associated Press reports. It's not clear whether the judge will require them to appear, ABC News notes.

Prosecutors last month said that Loughlin and Giannulli paid $500,000 in order to have their daughters, who don't row, recruited to the University of Southern California as members of the crew team. Loughlin and others were indicted on April 9, with a new money laundering charge being added alongside conspiracy to commit mail fraud. This additional charge was described by The Associated Press as prosecutors adding pressure on the parents to plead guilty.

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Felicity Huffman, who was also charged in the college admission scandal, previously pleaded guilty, saying in a statement that she accepts "full responsibility" for her actions. But Loughlin is going in the opposite direction as she faces the possibility of years in jail. CNN legal analyst and former prosecutor Elie Honig told CNN on Monday that Loughlin is taking a "big risk," and he predicted there will be a "big difference" in the end result for Loughlin and Huffman.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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