This Is How Lori Loughlin Reportedly Met Rick Singer, the Guy Behind the College Admissions Scam
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By now, Lori Loughlin's connection to Rick Singer is clear. He allegedly helped the actor's daughters, Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose Giannulli, gain admission to USC — and his method of "helping" wasn't exactly innocent.
Singer reportedly forged paperwork and did other nefarious things, such as help fix test scores, to get Loughlin's daughters and other prospective students into the prestigious university and others like it. In Loughlin's case, it all came to the tune of $500,000. Until today, it was unclear how Loughlin and singer initially met. Turns out, it was allegedly through her friends, who had also used his services and actually recommended him.
According to People, Loughlin's friends told her that Singer was "the best," though the magazine's sources say that she had no idea that his specific technique included bribery and misrepresentation. People adds that several of her friends were familiar with Singer's successful track record and spoke highly of him, which could have been why Loughlin was so gung-ho about the situation. It's unclear if any of those friends are also facing legal action for their association with Singer and his company.
"Lori heard about Rick from a friend. Lori was told that Rick was the best," a source said. "He was known for being creative, but it seems Lori had no idea that he engaged in bribes and lies."
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Due to their involvement with the scandal, Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, have been indicted with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, honest services mail fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. Court documents and reports state that Loughlin wanted her daughters to attend the school so badly that she was willing to go along with Singer's plan, which included having Olivia and Bella pose for staged photos depicting them as crew rowers, even though they never participated in the sport. Singer worked by channeling bribes through Key Worldwide Foundation, a charity he created in order to funnel "donations" to schools.
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"It seems Lori went along with Rick's plan because he explained this was the only way to get into USC," the source added.
People notes that Singer has pleaded guilty to "racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and obstruction of justice." As part of his plea deal, he agreed to work with the FBI to expose the people that he worked with and, supposedly, his clients. In addition to Loughlin, actor Felicity Huffman was also indicted in the scam.
