Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slams Felicity Huffman's lenient prison sentence amid reports actress could face just 0-6 months
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Last week it was announced that Felicity Huffman intends to strike a plea deal for her involvement in the college admissions fraud scheme Operation Varsity Blues, in which she’s accused of paying $15,000 to have her daughter Sophia’s SAT scores falsified.
Many are speculating over how much jail time the actress is facing, with federal prosecutors reportedly recommending a sentencing guideline of four to 10 months. Now comes word that the former Desperate Housewives star could face no more than six months.
That’s not good enough for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The freshman congresswoman responded to NBC News investigative journalist Tom Winter’s tweet about Huffman potentially getting a sentence of zero to six months by pointing out the double standards for criminals of “wealth and privilege.”
The New York Democrat accused the justice system — which she called a “class enforcement system” — of treating people of color and low-income citizens more harshly than those, like Huffman, with power and money.
Our country has a “justice” system that criminalizes poverty + disproportionately targets race, yet routinely pardons large-scale crimes of wealth and privilege.
Moments like these tell us it’s less a justice system, and more a class enforcement system. ⬇️ https://t.co/etlIksWsiy— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 16, 2019
Many agreed with the politician’s comment about Huffman.
It’s better to be rich and guilty, than poor and innocent 🇺🇸
— jrabbit (@jrabbitmusic) April 17, 2019
White privilege.
If you deny it, you’re part of the problem.— Angela Belcamino (@AngelaBelcamino) April 17, 2019
Others dismissed her argument, with several claiming that the dropped charges against Jussie Smollett, who is black, proved that getting a slap on the wrist wasn’t about race or white privilege.
And many commenters said that Huffman doesn’t necessarily deserve a long sentence.
Jail is not good for this or drug offenders either way. She should have to donate lots of money to scholarships for people who can’t afford school.
— Michael DeHaan (@laserllama) April 16, 2019
I agree but what is the point of putting her in jail? I would rather see her fined and forced to do something beneficial for society.
— Jennifer Lourie (@jenlouriemainer) April 17, 2019
Winter, the reporter whose tweet prompted Ocasio-Cortez’s comment, pointed out that — while many may want to see Huffman punished for trying to cheat the system — her participation in the SAT fraud was relatively minor. By comparison, Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli could each face up to 40 years — though five is more likely — in prison because they allegedly spent $500,000 on fraudulently getting their two daughters into college.
I see a lot of people criticizing this sentence. But in Huffman's case we're talking about her taking a plea on only $15,000 in fraud with no other associated crime on a first time offense. By law you're not doing a lot of time for that federally, no matter who you are.
— Tom Winter (@Tom_Winter) April 17, 2019
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