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Lori Loughlin and Mossimo Giannulli Reportedly Resign From Country Club After Pleading Guilty to College Admissions Charges
Lori Loughlin and husband Mossimo Giannulli have voluntarily resigned from the elite Bel-Air Country Club after board members voted to suspend their membership after they pleaded guilty to charges related to the college admissions scandal, TMZ reported.
The board members unanimously voted to suspend Loughlin, 55, and Giannulli, 57, from the club, but the suspension would be lifted after they each serve their jail sentences. Some members were upset that Loughlin and Giannulli would be able to continue their memberships, and former Bel-Air Country Club President Michael Gallagher wrote a letter to the board to complain.
“This unprecedented board decision to allow felons to continue as members causes irreparable reputational harm to the Club and its members,” Gallagher wrote in a copy of the letter obtained by the outlet. He continued, “BACC is a Club of gentlemen and gentlewomen. Gentlemen are not felons, and felons in turn are not gentlemen. You cannot be a member in good standing and guilty of a felony at the same time, it is a non sequitur.”
“The board action, taken on behalf of the Club’s membership, now establishes our Club as a place of refuge and comfort for known felons – reputational harm be damned,” he added. “There is no fiduciary duty which justifies harm such as this to the membership. The fiduciary duty of the board requires instead it shield the Club by expulsion of the offending parties.”
While Gallagher is one of the many members who did not agree with the board’s decision, TMZ reported that other members are supportive of Loughlin and Giannulli. The couple enjoys golfing at the country club, but to avoid further tension, they decided to voluntarily resign.
Loughlin and Giannulli were arrested in March 2019, along with 15 other parents, after being indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud in connection with the college admissions scandal, a.k.a. “Operation Varsity Blues.” They originally pleaded not guilty in April of that year. In October 2019, they were hit with additional conspiracy charges and pleaded not guilty as well.
The couple finally agreed to a plea deal in May. The Full House actress pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud on May 21. The fashion designer also pleaded guilty to honest service wire and mail fraud. Their sentencing will be held on Friday, August 21.
As part of their plea deal, Loughlin will be sentenced to two months in prison, a $150,000 fine and two years of supervised release with 100 hours of community service. Giannulli will be sentenced to five months in prison, a $250,000 fine and two years of supervised release with 250 hours of community service.
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