Lori Loughlin is gunning for the charges against her and husband Mossimo Giannulli to be dropped in the college admissions scandal case!
Per documents obtained by ET, attorneys for the couple filed a motion to dismiss the case, claiming prosecutors with the US Attorney’s office committed “extraordinary” misconduct.
Related: Olivia And Bella Have ‘Gone Back To Normal’ As Parents’ Trial Approaches
The docs allege in November 2018, “[Rick] Singer called Loughlin and similarly used language to make it seem she knew the donations were bribes,” and allegedly led the couple to believe they were making legitimate donations to the University of Southern California.
As you’re likely well aware, the pair are accused of paying $500,000 to admit their daughters, 20-year-old Olivia Jade and 21-year-old Isabella Rose, into the SoCal school as crew team recruits, despite neither of them participating in the sport.
The documents argue:
“Loughlin answered ‘[u]m-hmm’ and that she was ‘confused.’ The Government has repeatedly characterized Loughlin’s response as an admission of wrongdoing. But in a recorded call that Loughlin made to Singer three months later — after her daughters’ high school received a grand jury subpoena for their academic records, and that was not directed by agents seeking to fabricate evidence — Loughlin made clear she did not know the payments were bribes or have any idea that Singer had engaged in wrongdoing.”
The Full House alum allegedly told Singer, who has been dubbed the mastermind behind the scandal, that she had some questions about the donation process:
“Yeah, no, no, I—I had questions about USC. I was like, ‘Well, maybe the way they got in you’re not supposed to get in like that, I don’t know, like can you,’ But Moss was like, ‘No, you can make a donation, it’s OK.'”
Loughlin allegedly asked:
“But it’s all on the up and-up, right?”
As we’ve previously shared, it was announced in February that the trial would begin in a federal courthouse in Boston in October and is slated to last for four weeks. The couple’s attorney requested at the time that the court “postpone the setting of any trial dates” until disputes and motions could be “briefed and decided.”
The new legal paperwork from Loughlin and Giannulli alleges Rick had discussions with FBI investigators in which they “directed him” to attempt to get an incriminating statement out of his clients by making phone calls.
Long story short, Lori and her team says the government lied and withheld evidence. The prosecution says they “scrupulously adhered to its discovery obligations” in regards to providing notes from Singer to the defense and denied “withholding any exculpatory evidence.” They also called out the twosome’s claims as “hyperbolic and unsupported.”
Thoughts on all this, Perezcious readers?? Do U think the case has a chance of being dropped?! If not, it sure seems like it could be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic!
Sound OFF (below) in the comments with your take!
[Image via Bella Giannulli/Instagram & Adriana M. Barraza/WENN.]
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