Lori Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli are apparently sick of sitting back and hoping for the best — because according to insiders, now they’re ready to go on the offensive!
According to a new report published on Sunday afternoon by the folks at TMZ, the embattled couple is apparently prepared to claim that prosecutors are “intentionally hiding evidence” which proves they did NOT intend to secretly bribe anyone in order to get their daughters into college.
Related: Lori Supports Olivia Jade’s YouTube Comeback… On This One Condition…
New court docs claim the husband and wife are now arguing they made “legitimate donations” in order to gain admission to the University of Southern California for daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose. The couple’s lawyers are going on the offensive with this one, planning to argue (below):
“At trial, Giannulli and Loughlin will help establish their innocence by showing that they understood both sets of payments to be legitimate donations and did not understand or intend that either set of payments would be used to directly or indirectly bribe [former USC senior associate athletic director] Heinel.”
Basically, the couple’s lawyers are trying to prove that the school itself was aware of the apparent bribery and fraudulent activities with various parents and students, so much so that payments sent to the school from all kinds of sources and would be families had become an “institutionalized, university-wide program at USC.”
If the lawyers can prove that, they feel they can argue the case that the payment isn’t bribery, then, but simply should be seen as the cost of doing business for Lori and Mossimo. And thus, it ain’t their fault that a payment was required in the first place. Hmmm…
It’s a risky game, if only because the couple is already facing a maximum of 45 years in federal prison (each!) if convicted on all charges. As of now, those charges include conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, honest services fraud, money laundering and federal programs bribery. The federal government has previously amended their indictment to add charges, and could choose to do so again.
Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see if the couple’s lawyers can make the claim successfully here that (a) the bribe itself was ‘institutionalized’ to the point of no longer being seen as a crime in that sense, and (b) the feds are hiding evidence that could acquit the Fuller House star and her fashion designer beau. That’s obviously a BIG ol’ allegation hanging out there… gotta back it up with some big-time evidence and arguments!
Related: The ‘Grueling’ Court Prep Has Started For Lori…
One thing we are absolutely certain about: this is going to be the trial of the century, isn’t it??
What do y’all think about all this, Perezcious readers? What’s the future look like for Lori and Mossimo??
Sound OFF with all your opinions and more in the comments (below)!!!
[Image via Nicky Nelson/WENN]
The post Lori Loughlin & Mossimo Giannulli: Prosecutors Are Hiding Evidence That Proves We’re Innocent! appeared first on Perez Hilton.