Star of Desperate Housewives faces jail for university cheating scandal
FELICITY HUFFMAN, the American actress, last night pleaded guilty to paying for someone to cheat on her daughter’s university entrance exam.
Huffman, 56, entered her plea at a court in Boston and apologised to other students affected by what she did.
She became the highest-profile person to admit their role in a widespread bribery and cheating scandal in which wealthy parents broke the law to get their children into prestigious educational establishments.
The Emmy-winning star of Desperate Housewives paid $15,000 to have an invigilator secretly correct her daughter’s exam answers, and was arrested two months ago in an investigation code-named “Operation Varsity Blues”.
In court, Huffman pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and honest services mail fraud.
She faces a probable jail term and will be sentenced on Sept 13. Prosecutors have recommended she be jailed for between four and 10 months, and that she pay a fine of $20,000. Huffman has expressed “deep regret and shame,” and said her 18-year-old daughter had been unaware of her actions.
The test centre where her daughter’s exam took place was controlled by Rick Singer, a California-based admissions consultant, who pleaded guilty in March to charges that he facilitated cheating. At least 50 people have been accused of taking part in the scheme, with parents handing over a total of $25 million over seven years to get their children into universities including Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and the University of Southern California.
Strategies included paying invigilators to fix answers, and allowing impostors to sit the exams.
Huffman, who was nominated for an Oscar for best actress for her role in the 2005 film Transamerica, is married to William H Macy, 69, star of the television show Shameless and numerous Hollywood films including Fargo.
Police said Macy was with his wife when Singer explained how the scam worked. He has not been charged and prosecutors have not indicated why.
The conviction is expected to harm Huffman’s career. Netflix said a film starring the actress called Otherhood would not be released as planned.
More than a dozen parents have agreed to plead guilty in the biggest university admissions scandal ever brought to court in the US, but others are fighting the criminal charges.
Lori Loughlin, another US actress, and Mossimo Giannulli, her fashion designer husband, have pleaded not guilty to paying $500,000 in bribes to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as rowing recruits, even though neither of them were rowers.