00:00"'There can be no separate college admissions system for the wealthy, and I'll add that there
00:05will not be a separate criminal justice system either.'"
00:08Actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin are among 40 charged in a nationwide college
00:13entrance exam scandal. Documents show those indicted allegedly paid millions in bribes
00:19to get their children into elite colleges, including Yale, Stanford, and the University
00:24of Southern California. According to court documents filed in Boston on Tuesday obtained
00:28by The Hollywood Reporter, several NCAA D-1 college coaches, company CEOs, and one college
00:34administrator have also been implicated in the scandal, named Operation Varsity Blues.
00:40200 FBI agents worked the case. During a media conference on Tuesday, Andrew Lelling with the
00:44U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston said this, as captured by ABC News.
00:48"'For every student admitted through fraud, an honest, genuinely talented student was rejected.'"
00:55He also said, "'It remains to be seen if we charge any students. The schools are not considered
01:00co-conspirators.'"
01:01Arrest warrants have been issued for parents. The charges were authorized by a grand jury.
01:06According to authorities, the scheme in some instances involved parents paying William Singer,
01:10the founder of a college prep business, to have someone take the SAT or ACT for their children.
01:15As for Loughlin, she and her husband, the mogul behind Mossimo Clothing, are accused of paying
01:20$500,000 to USC through Singer's operation, in exchange for having their two daughters designated
01:26as recruits to the college's crew team, even though they did not participate in crew,
01:32thereby guaranteeing their admission to the university," according to documents.
01:35Meanwhile, Huffman, the actress who also runs a parenting blog that features everything from
01:39back-to-school tips to advice on raising teens, and her spouse, William H. Macy, are accused of
01:45disguising a $15,000 charitable payment in the bribery scheme. The charging papers refer to Macy
01:50as spouse. He hasn't been indicted. According to charging documents, a confidential witness met
01:54with Huffman at her home and explained that he controlled a SAT testing center and could arrange
01:59for someone to proctor the taking of the test, and then correct her daughter's answers afterward.
02:05Huffman is said to have later exchanged emails with this individual in an effort to get 100% extra
02:10time for her daughter and to facilitate her taking the SATs away from her school.
02:14We're not talking about donating a building so that a school's more likely to take your
02:19son or daughter. We're talking about deception and fraud.
02:22For much more on this story, head to THR.com.
02:25Until next time, for The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Tiffany Taylor.
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