It’s hard to imagine now, but a little over a year ago the college admissions scandal, in which 50-something wealthy parents were accused of scamming their offspring’s way into elite colleges, was kind of the biggest thing going on. It was a simpler time.
Flash-forward a year and the country has been ravaged by a viral pandemic and economic disaster the likes of which hasn’t been seen since the Great Depression, and the now largely insignificant scandal appears to have finally reached its denouement. Actress Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli, the most prominent parents involved in the case, have agreed to plead guilty, the Department of Justice announced Thursday morning.
In case you forgot, the couple was accused of posing their daughters as rowing recruits to get them into the University of Southern California, and over the past year and change have vehemently denied the accusations, even as many other parents pled guilty and served time.
After several months of trying to wriggle out of the charges, Loughlin and her husband have agreed to plead guilty. Loughlin will admit to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, and will serve two months in prison followed by two years of supervised release with community service. Her husband will admit to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud, and will serve five months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. Loughlin has also been ordered to pay a $150,000 fine, while Giannulli will pay $250,000.
It was bound to happen eventually, but after more than a year of college admissions scandal drama starring Loughlin and Giannulli, the guilty plea can’t help but feel a little anti-climatic.
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