Allegations federal investigators pressured a cooperating witness to entrap parents are serious and disturbing, the judge in the Lori Loughlin college admissions scandal case said, NBC News reported Monday.
Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli – who have pleaded not guilty to fraud, bribery, and money laundering conspiracy charges – are among dozens of parents accused of paying bribes to get their children into top-level universities.
The couple allegedly paid $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as crew recruits, even though the girls are not even rowers.
Attorneys for them and a group of other defendants requested the judge dismiss the case, because court documents illustrate the scheme's mastermind and government cooperating witness, William "Rick" Singer, had notes in which he said investigators "fabricated evidence to create the false impression that defendants knowingly paid bribes to corrupt insiders, rather than made legitimate donations to help their children’s chances of gaining admission."
Judge Nathaniel Gorton refused to throw the case out based on these allegations, but demanded the prosecution explain the methods used to gain evidence, according to Fox News.
Gordon stated in a three-page memorandum, "The court considered the allegations in Singer's October notes to be serious and disturbing."
The prosecution has previously argued a crime still occurred, because it does not matter if the money given was called a "donation" or a "bribe."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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