College Admissions Scandal Update: Lori Loughlin's 'Baseless' Claims Go 'Too Far,' Says Prosecutors
As Lori Loughlin and her legal team move towards her October trial regarding her alleged participation in the college admissions scam, they will now be faced with a new hurdle to overcome.
In 2019, Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, were accused of paying William "Rick" Singer $500,000 so that their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose, could attend the University of Southern California (USC). Following the allegations, they were each charged with mail and wire fraud, honest services mail and wire fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery.
According to USA Today, federal prosecutors have publicly denied allegations that investigators "deliberately withheld and fabricated evidence to entrap" the "Fuller House" actress.
"Criminal defendants are entitled to a vigorous defense. But making baseless claims that evidence was fabricated to frame innocent parties goes too far," Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Frank wrote on Wednesday. This comes after accusations that informants were bullied into "lying and then concealing evidence" that could potentially benefit the defendants, which the defense said could not be "ignored."
Prior to the recent declaration, Loughlin's "formidable" defense has reportedly been taking a variety of steps behind the scene in order to prepare for the upcoming court dates. Not only have they indicated that they want to obtain access to "critical" information, but have also made the decision to change their strategy prior to the the "When Calls the Heart" actress' trial.
As for Loughlin herself, it has been said that she has been "quietly" taking various steps behind the scenes as she readies for a "possible showdown" later this year. It has also been reported that she has actively tried to prevent the prosecution from "securing a conviction" due to the fact that she allegedly attempted to keep Olivia and Isabella from testifying.
![Lori Loughlin Olivia Jade](https://d.ibtimes.com/en/full/2950226/lori-loughlin-olivia-jade.jpg?w=736&f=1e6819b5412be1f4f908b2524b1937c1)
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