Feds deny claims of misconduct in college admissions case

BOSTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors denied allegations that investigators deliberately withheld and fabricated evidence to entrap actress Lori Loughlin, her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, and other prominent parents charged with cheating the college admissions process.

Prosecutors told a judge in a legal document filed late Wednesday that he should reject the parents' attempt to dismiss the charges, calling their claims of government misconduct “baseless."

“Criminal defendants are entitled to a vigorous defense. But making baseless claims that evidence was fabricated to frame innocent parties goes too far,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Frank wrote.

Lawyers for the parents have accused investigators of bullying their informant into lying and then concealing evidence that would support the parents' claim that they believed the payments were legitimate donations that would benefit the schools, rather than bribes for coaches or officials.

At issue are notes from the phone of the scheme’s admitted mastermind, admissions consultant Rick Singer, that were not given to the defense until February. In the notes, Singer, who was cooperating with investigators, says the FBI told him to lie in phone calls with the parents and say he told them the payments were bribes.

Frank said prosecutors' failure to hand over the notes earlier was “simply a mistake" and didn't cause any harm to the defense. Prosecutors say they first discovered the notes in October 2018 but didn't review them further because they believed they were written for his attorney and were protected by attorney-client privilege.

Furthermore, in no way do the notes exonerate the parents, the prosecutor said.

"Just because neither Singer nor the defendants actually used the word ‘bribe’ to...