Lori Loughlin Gets 2 Months Jail Time And Husband Gets 5 In College Admissions Scandal

TOPLINE

Full House actress Lori Loughlin was sentenced to two months in jail, just hours after her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli got five months after being convicted on conspiracy and fraud charges for the role they played in the college admissions scandal to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California.

KEY FACTS

Big number

At least 53 and $25 million. That’s how many people have been charged as part of the scandal.  And at least 33 parents have been accused of paying $25 million to Singer from 2011 to 2018 as part of the scheme.

Crucial quote

Loughlin has “a fairytale life,” the judge said. As he handed down the sentence, he addressed her, saying, “you stand before me a convicted felon, and for what? The inexplicable desire to have even more.” He told Giannulli during his earlier sentencing: “You are an informed, smart, successful businessman. You certainly did know better, and you helped sponsor a breathtaking fraud on our admissions system.

Key background

The college admissions scandal investigation, codenamed “Operation Varsity Blues” by the Department of Justice, was made public in March 2019. The group of parents accused in the case were believed to have used phony athletic, academic and test score records, along with bribery, to get their children into Yale, Stanford and USC, among other schools. All but one parent have been sentenced to prison time. Loughlin’s daughter (and influencer) Olivia Jade Giannulli has not returned to USC since August 2019. She was falsely presented to USC as an accomplished coxswain in crew, and fake photos were taken of her on a rowing machine. 

Tangent

Actress Felicity Huffman was the first parent to be sentenced as a result of Operation Varsity Blues, with a 14-day jail sentence, a $30,000 fine and 250 hours of community service. Huffman admitted to paying Singer $15,000 to boost her daughter’s SAT scores. 

Further reading

Lori Loughlin And Husband Will Plead Guilty In College Admission Scandal, Likely To Serve Prison Time (Forbes)

Felicity Huffman Sentenced To 14 Days In Prison For College Admissions Scandal (Forbes)