Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli returned to federal court in Boston on Tuesday, August 27, for a hearing regarding the government’s concerns of their choice of lawyers in the nationwide college admissions scandal.
Us Weekly confirmed in June that the Full House alum and the fashion designer’s attorneys from the firm of Latham & Watkins were fighting to stay on the case after the government accused the firm, which previously represented the University of Southern California in unrelated cases, of having a conflict interest. Loughlin, 55, and Giannulli, 56, stated in paperwork obtained by Us at the time that they want the firm to continue to represent both of them in the case.
According to the court documents obtained by Us, questions submitted from the government for Loughlin and Giannulli at Tuesday’s hearing included: “Do you both understand that you each have a right to individual counsel?” and “Do you understand that USC is both the victim of your alleged scheme and that representatives of USC are likely prosecution witnesses who will provide evidence implicating you in the charged scheme?”
Loughlin and Giannulli were arrested in March after they were accused of paying $500,000 to guarantee their daughters Bella and Olivia Jade’s acceptance to USC as crew recruits even though they do not play the sport.
The following month, the couple entered a plea of not guilty to charges of fraud and money laundering conspiracy. According to an insider, however, Loughlin may be willing to take a plea deal to avoid jail time.
The former When Calls the Heart star “has asked her lawyer to negotiate a plea deal that would involve no jail time, but home confinement with monitoring via ankle monitor,” an insider told Us on August 21. “She’s willing to pay a substantial fine, over $2 million.”
In the aftermath of the scandal, Loughlin was fired by the Hallmark Channel and Netflix opted not to include her in the final seasons of Fuller House. While Bella and Olivia returned to social media last month to wish their mother happy birthday, a source told Us that the family is “is still very strained” amid the legal drama.
“They’re showing a united front on social media,” the source said. “But there’s a lot of deep-rooted hurt.”
