It’s tough beating a dead horse with this Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli College admissions bribery scandal but unfortunately, it’s necessary. You already know the story: former actress Loughlin and clothing designer husband Mossimo Giannulli allegedly bribed the University of Southern California (USC) $500,000 to admit both of their daughters.
They claim to have “donated” the massive amount of money to USC’s Crew Team even though neither one of their daughters are on the team. The trial is coming up soon and the Hollywood couple’s schizophrenic behavior is certainly noticeable.
And now Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli are back in the news again because they are planning this bold move.
It’s bizarre how much Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli keep making headlines. It’s obnoxious actually.
Nevertheless, they persist as if it’s by design.
Loughlin and Giannulli were both charged with mail fraud, but when they decided to take on the federal government, prosecutors slapped them with a money laundering charge as well, which could carry a sentence of up to 40 years in prison.
Loughlin has been unabashed and adamant about her innocence and believes she would win her case against the federal government when all the facts were revealed about the case.
The “Fuller House” actress reportedly did a massive U-turn with her confidence in the case and regrets not taking the initial plea deal the federal prosecutors offered.
Entertainment Tonight reported that a source close to Loughlin said, “She is watching the reduced sentences of those who have taken plea deals, and wondering each day if she’s made the wrong decision. While a few friends have stuck by her side, many others have cut her off. She still feels it’s a huge misunderstanding, but seeing others be sentenced has scared her.”
But now Loughlin and Giannulli are flipping the script again by wanting to go through the trial proceedings together rather than separately.
The couple’s attorneys from Latham & Watkins said in a filing this week, “Giannulli and Loughlin are innocent of the charges brought against them and are eager to clear their names. And they believe their interests will be advanced most effectively by presenting a united front against the Government’s baseless accusations.”
This is largely a bad strategy because sometimes the best defense for one client may compromise the defense of the other and vice versa.
The law firm also wrote, “a common defense often gives strength against a common attack … Whatever happens, Giannulli and Loughlin will have their interests fully protected, and the case will proceed without undue delay.”
The couple is due in court on August 27th but these kinds of trials and cases can take years before a jury comes down with their verdict.
They plan to use “ignorance” as their defense strategy, which means the prosecutors will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that both Loughlin and Giannulli were aware they were bribing USC.
Nevertheless, they still maintain their innocence but they could spend the rest of their lives behind bars if they roll the dice and are proven wrong.
