Lori Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, have pleaded not guilty in the college admissions bribery scandal.
The “Full House” star and her husband waived their right to appear in court for an arraignment and entered not guilty pleas in documents filed Monday, according to the Associated Press. The couple has not released any statements regarding their alleged involvement in the scam.
BREAKING: Actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, say in court documents that they are pleading not guilty in the college admissions scheme. https://t.co/G5CK7dciyZ
— AP Eastern US (@APEastRegion) April 15, 2019
Actress Felicity Huffman entered a guilty plea April 8 and faces at least four months in prison. Loughlin and Giannulli reportedly were slapped with an additional charge of money laundering after rejecting a plea deal. (RELATED: Lori Loughlin And Husband Indicted On Fraud And Money Laundering Charges In National College Scam)
Loughlin and Giannulli have been accused of paying a total of $500,000 in bribe to secure their daughters‘ admissions into the University of Southern California as competitive rowing recruits. Huffman was accused of paying $15,000 to have someone take her daughter’s SAT.
The “Desperate Housewives” star released a statement after the acceptance of her not guilty plea.
“I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community,” Huffman said. “I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and to honestly do so.”