Lori Loughlin Believes She Was Tricked By College Admissions Scandal Ringleader
Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli put all the blame of the College Admission Scandal mastermind, Rick Singer and maintain that evidence will prove their innocence, according to PEOPLE. A source told them that Lori was tricked by Singer and she only did what she believed countless parents did.
The former "Fuller House" star and her fashion designer husband pleaded not guilty back in October after they were charged with bribery charges along with several other parents. They are accused of paying Singer $500,000 to get their daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella into the University of Southern California.
"Lori was hoodwinked by Rick Singer. There's no other way to put it," PEOPLE's source said. "She was convinced that she was making a donation, just like parents have been doing for years."
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'Prosecution Is Hell-Bent On Making Examples Out Of People'
Their legal team filed documents on Friday at the Massachusetts U.S. District Court asking for statements made by Singer during the FBI investigation. They believe that those statements will provide valuable evidence that proves that she acted in good faith and did not know they were breaking the law. The source claims that Loughlin still believes she will be cleared of all wrongdoing because she "did not have any intent" to break the law and thought "she was doing the right thing.”
"That's why she hasn't pleaded guilty; frankly, she believes that she is innocent and that the evidence shown in court will prove that," the magazine's source said. "Unfortunately, it seems as though the prosecution is hell-bent on making examples out of people and not playing fair."
With all the compounding charges, the duo face 40 years if convicted on all of them and a hefty fine but their legal team seems confident that they will walk away with no punishment.
Olivia Jade Is Making Waves
About a week before their lawyers filed the new documents in court, Olivia Jade made her triumphant return to social media after a year-long absence. The gesture reportedly did not sit well with Lori who had instructed her 20-year-old daughter to stay away from posting anything until the legal drama was completely over with.
“Lori was very clear in telling Olivia to remain quiet and not do anything controversial,” the source told US Weekly.
“There were major tensions between Olivia and Lori when the scandal first broke,” the insider said, "but she became sympathetic after she saw what her parents were going through. “She feels bad for them and has been spending more time at home.”
Now that she is back on Instagram and creating content, the family divide is starting to expand once again. The source called Olivia's YouTube video a "big betrayal."
