Loughlin pleads not guilty

An image of the building Bovard on campus, showing its red brick entrance

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Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli allegedly made payments to USC to secure admission for their two daughters. (Vincent Leo | Daily Trojan)

Actress Lori Loughlin pleaded not guilty again Monday in Boston federal court to the three charges she faces in the admissions scandal after allegedly gaining her daughters’ admission to USC as false athletic recruits. 

In the filing, Loughlin’s defense waived her court appearance scheduled for Jan. 27 and entered into a not guilty plea in response to a fourth superseding indictment filed Jan. 14. 

“Defendant and her counsel affirm that Ms. Loughlin has received a copy of the Fourth Superseding Indictment and that Ms. Loughlin pleads not guilty to each of the counts against her,” the court arraignment waiver read.

The indictment charges Loughlin, her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, and 17 other parents involved in the case with 13 counts. Among them, Loughlin and Giannulli face charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery and conspiracy to commit money laundering for paying $500,000 to gain their daughters admission through crew.

In a separate motion also filed Monday, defense representing admissions case parents Loughlin, Giannulli, investor William McGlashan Jr. and businessman John Wilson requested a three-day extension to its Friday deadline by which they are required to submit court documents. The documents will support the defenses’ Jan. 14 request for the federal government to release further evidence relevant to Loughlin’s case, in which the defendants accused the prosecution of misrepresenting the money they paid for their children’s admission.

The motion, which asks the court to extend the deadline until Friday, stated that the additional time would allow the defense to review motion and report documents the government released Monday. It also asked that the government respond to the defendants’ filing by Feb. 7.

According to court documents, the defendants have requested evidence from the federal government regarding information admissions scheme organizer William “Rick” Singer gave to the parents about the objective behind the payments they made for their children’s admission. The parents alleged Singer had told them the money that would fund a legitimate nonprofit organization, a claim that may challenge the bribery charges, according to the defense in court documents.

Both have maintained not-guilty pleas since their first indictment in March, and the couple allege the prosecution is withholding information relevant to the defendants’ case, a claim the government has refuted.

Loughlin and Giannulli are among 15 parents of the 36 named in the admissions case to decline a plea deal and stand trial in federal court. Unless the couple reverse their plea, the federal government may ask their daughters, Isabella and Olivia Jade, to testify. The sisters attended USC before news of the scandal broke in March but are no longer enrolled, the University confirmed in October.

The case’s next status hearing is scheduled for Feb. 27 in Boston federal court.