Lori Loughlin faces new bribery charge in college admissions scandal
Lori Loughlin has just been hit with a brand new charge in the college admissions scandal.
The Full House actress and 10 other parents were charged by a grand jury Tuesday for having allegedly "conspired to commit federal program bribery by bribing employees of the University of Southern California (USC) to facilitate their children's admission," ABC News and CNN report.
Loughlin had previously been charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud after being arrested in March for her role in what the Department of Justice has said is the largest college admissions scandal it has ever prosecuted. Prosecutors say Loughlin paid $500,000 to have her daughters falsely admitted to the University of Southern California as rowing recruits despite not being rowers.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
She's one of the two most high-profile parents charged in the scandal, with the other being Felicity Huffman, who pleaded guilty and is currently serving two weeks in prison. Unlike Huffman, Loughlin has pleaded not guilty. When Huffman received her 14-day sentence, CNN legal analyst Elie Honig described this as "very bad news" for Loughlin, since this sentence would likely be the "absolute floor." TMZ reported Tuesday, though, that prosecutors are "open to plea discussions" with Loughlin.
In a statement Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling said, "Our goal from the beginning has been to hold the defendants fully accountable for corrupting the college admissions process through cheating, bribery and fraud. The superseding indictments will further that effort."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
'A speaker courageous enough to stand up to the extremists in his own party'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
How could the Supreme Court's Fischer v. US case impact the other Jan 6. trials including Trump's?
Today's Big Question A former Pennsylvania cop might hold the key to a major upheaval in how the courts treat the Capitol riot — and its alleged instigator
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 18, 2024
Cartoons Thursday's cartoons - impeachment Peanuts, record-breaking temperatures, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published