If there’s a way to put a scandal behind you? Felicity Huffman may be offering up a primer. Huffman is among 15 others pleading guilty in the massive college admissions cheating scandal. The Massachusetts Department of Justice has announced that Huffman, along with 13 other parents and one college coach, have agreed to plead guilty.
In a statement, Huffman essentially throws herself on a sword saying she is in “full acceptance of her guilt,” and has “deep regret and shame” over what she did. She goes on to say that she’s “ashamed of the pain she caused” her daughter and she claims her daughter knew nothing about her actions. Huffman also apologized to “the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.”(Her full statement is below)
Will Huffman will face jail time as part of her plea? That hasn’t been confirmed, but the plea agreement indicates that the U.S. Attorney’s Office believes the sentence should fall on the “low end” of a range, which could mean between four and 10 months. A plea hearing has not been scheduled.
- Huffman is accused of paying $15-thousand disguised as a tax-deductible charitable donation so her daughter could take part in an apparently rigged college entrance exam.
- Of interesting note? The report does not list fellow actress Lori Loughlin as even making a plea. Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, are charged with paying a-half-a-million-dollars in bribes to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as crew athletes even though neither ever took part in the sport. There is no word on what their plea will be.
- Here is Huffman's statement in its entirety: "I am pleading guilty to the charge brought against me by the United States Attorney’s Office. I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions. I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community. I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly. My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty.”
Source:Variety