Lori Loughlin Insists She Was "Hoodwinked" by Rick Singer
The latest development in the college admissions scandal comes just after Lori Loughlin requested that the court release information from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Why? She believes that there's evidence in those files that could prove she's innocent, because, as sources tell People, she was tricked by Rick Singer into believing that what she did to get her daughters into the University of Southern California wasn't illegal at all.
Attorney Sean Berkowitz, who is representing both Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, claimed that material that the prosecution deemed "irrelevant and immaterial" could help his clients' case. Sources say that Loughlin believes that she was just donating to the school, something that's been going on forever, and that the evidence will prove that.
"Lori was hoodwinked by Rick Singer," a source explained to People. "There's no other way to put it. She was convinced that she was making a donation, just like parents have been doing for years."
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The source continues, saying that Loughlin's insistence on pleading not guilty hinges on that belief. Loughlin and her team believe that the FBI is using them as an example and withholding evidence so Loughlin and Co. can't build a strong case. They're hoping to show that the couple didn't know that their donations would be used as bribes.
"She did not have any intent to do something illegal, and in fact she thought she was doing the right thing," the source added. "That’s why she hasn’t pleaded guilty; frankly, she believes that she is innocent and that the evidence shown in court will prove that. Unfortunately, it seems as though the prosecution is hell-bent on making examples out of people, and not playing fair."
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Loughlin is hoping to prove that she was told the money was going to be spent in a certain way and that Singer didn't follow through with the promises that he made. She believed that she was writing checks to the Key Worldwide Foundation, a nonprofit that supported after-school programs.
"As noted, in making their case to the jury, Giannulli and Loughlin intend to present evidence that they reasonably believed KWF was a bona fide charitable organization, and that their payments to KWF would support programs geared toward helping underprivileged children," the filing reads.