Lori Loughlin's Daughters May Still Face Criminal Charges, Says Legal Expert

As we get nearer and nearer to not the biggest perhaps, but certainly the most unexpected celebrity trial of the decade, there are still so many unanswered questions.

On the government’s side, the People v Lori Loughlin seems like an open-and-shut case. The Full House star was arrested back in March as part of the college admissions scandal; she and fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli are accused of bribing USC officials to get their daughters put on the school’s crew team roster — guaranteeing them conditional athletic acceptance to the university — despite the fact neither girl rowed crew.

She was first charged with fraud. After rejecting a plea deal, she also got hit with a charge of money laundering.

Per the indictment, Lori herself was caught on tape by middleman/mastermind Rick Singer, who had already been caught and turned state’s evidence, agreeing to lie and tell the IRS the half a million dollar bribe was a charitable donation to needy youth. So, y’know, fair.

And last week she was charged with federal program bribery, reportedly after being given another warning to plead guilty. (The four parents who changed their pleas to guilty were not hit with the additional charges.)

So clearly federal prosecutors are playing hardball with Aunt Becky. But will they go for the hardest ball of all? Let’s call it the home run… filing criminal charges against her daughters??

Olivia Jade and Bella Giannulli were the beneficiaries of Lori’s alleged crime — but could they be considered culpable? A legal expert speaking to People in this month’s issue says it’s a real possibility!

Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani states:

“At a minimum the daughters will be witnesses in a trial against their parents, but they could also be charged as defendants.”

Why?

Well, based on everything we’ve read about the alleged scam, it would have been very difficult to pull off, perhaps impossible, without the knowledge of the girls. We mean, they had to see they were on conditional acceptance to the school. Not to mention probably posing for fake rowing photos, as described in the indictment.

Rahmani also agrees with our assessment (thanks, Law & Order!) about this being something prosecutors could use as an ace up their sleeve to get the guilty plea they want:

“The government has made it clear that they are going to keep increasing pressure on both Lori and Mossimo. By not pleading, Lori and Mossimo are exposing their children to being charged.”

No wonder stress levels are at an all-time high in the Giannulli house.

However, a source close to Lori tells People there’s no chance the government has ever brought up charging the girls. Why?

“If Lori had any indication that the girls were at risk, she’d want to plead guilty — even though she believes that she did nothing wrong. She is not going to let them spend time in jail for something that they didn’t do. Lori is a fantastic mother who would take the fall for the girls even if it cost her everything.”

Hmm. We wonder if any of Lori’s prosecutors have a subscription to People magazine…

Do YOU think Lori’s daughters have a chance of being charged??

[Image via Adriana M. Barraza/WENN.]