Why Lori Loughlin Is Really Pleading Guilty In College Admissions Scandal

It’s been more than a year since she and her husband Mossimo Giannulli were indicted in the college admissions scandal. Now, after asserting their innocence the entire time and finding their bid to have the case thrown out denied, Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband are officially changing their pleas.

According to reports, the couple is now pleading guilty to counts of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud. The change of plea agreements were released by the Boston Globe and revealed that the “Fuller House” star was pleading guilty to one count while her husband pleaded guilty to two. As a result, pending approval from a judge, Loughlin could serve two months in prison, pay a $150,000 fine and serve two years of supervised release with 100 hours of community service. Her husband would serve five months in prison, pay a $250,000 fine and serve two years of supervised release with 250 hours of community service.

The couple was indicted in March 2019 after they were accused of allegedly paying $500,000 in bribes to William “Rick” Singer to gain admission for their daughters, Isabella Rose and Olivia Jade Giannulli, to USC as row recruits. They entered pleas of not guilty and continued facing new charges throughout the year.

The couple has not released a statement about their plea, but they likely changed their minds after their bid to get the case thrown out was rejected by a judge. The couple claimed that evidence proving their innocence had been withheld from prosecutors, but a judge dismissed the motion, freeing the couple to then go on trial in October as planned.

“The ruling is a huge setback for Loughlin’s defense team, and eliminates their only chance of getting the case dismissed before trial,” lawyer Neama Rahmani said at the time. “Lori better be prepared to face a jury of her peers in October, because that is her only chance of beating these charges.”

Last year, it was reported that Loughlin was considering changing her plea to guilty after seeing the more lenient sentences handed down to parents who did, including Felicity Huffman, who served 11 days in prison. However, her husband reportedly convinced her not to do so, and the couple continued trying to fight the charges.

As for their daughters, who were not charged with committing a crime, they were recently spotted out in LA with their dog, one day prior to news of their parents' change of plea.