On Monday, Felicity Huffman pleaded guilty in the college admissions scandal, with NBC News reporting that Huffman became emotional during her court appearance, tearing up as she detailed her role in the scheme and discussed her daughter.
Huffman had been indicted along with 50 others in the nationwide scheme after she reportedly “made a purported charitable contribution of $15,000 to KWF to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her oldest daughter.” The money went to Rick Singer, who organized the scheme and organized for a proctor to correct answers on Huffman’s oldest daughter’s SAT test.
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To facilitate the scheme, the venue of Huffman’s daughter’s test was changed, which required a note from a neuropsychologist. In court, Huffman broke down in tears as she explained to the judge that her daughter had been seeing a neuropsychologist since she was eight and had been receiving extra time on exams since age 11. She added that the request to change the venue was not part of the scheme and that neither the neuropsychologist nor her daughter was aware of the fraud.
“I just didn’t want to create the impression that the neuropsychologist had any involvement because she, like my daughter, didn’t have any knowledge of my actions, of what I had done,” she said.
PEOPLE reports that Huffman has agreed not to appeal any prison decision up to 20 years and that prosecutors are recommending a low sentence of 4 to 10 months and a $20,000 fine. She will be sentenced on Sept. 13.
The actress originally announced her decision to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud in April.
“I am pleading guilty to the charge brought against me by the United States Attorney’s Office,” she said in a statement at the time. “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.”
The 56-year-old is one of five parents who have formally pleaded guilty in the investigation, and nine others have made agreements to plead guilty at a later date. Singer has also pleaded guilty as well as others involved in the scandal including former Yale women’s soccer coach Rudy Meredith, former Stanford sailing coach John Vandemoer and Mark Riddell, who was paid to take SAT and ACT exams for students.
Photo Credit: Getty / Joseph Prezioso
