Actress Felicity Huffman First to Be Sentenced in College Admissions Cheating Scandal
KEILAR: We're following multiple breaking stories including actress Felicity Huffman sentenced to 14 days in prison for her role in what authorities say is the largest college admissions cheating scam ever prosecuted. Let's go to CNN national correspondent Miguel Marquez. Tell us what happens in court today, Miguel.</s>MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: 14 days in prison. One year supervised release, a $30,000 fine, 250 hours of community service. All of that will send an unmistakable message to others charged in this scandal whose cases will be heard in the same courthouse.</s>MARQUEZ (voice-over): Felicity Huffman hand-in-hand with her husband actor William H. Macy entering a federal courthouse in Boston to learn her fate. Huffman addressing the court through tears. She apologized to the judge, her daughters and husband. Saying she's ashamed of her behavior, recounting how one of her daughters told her, "I don't know who you are anymore, mom." She also said she was driving her daughter to the testing center, she thought to herself, "turn around, just turn around." And to my eternal shame, she says, "I didn't." Huffman concluded by saying she takes full responsibility. Prosecutors wanted her to spend a month in prison. Her lawyers wanted probation for a year. In sentencing Huffman to 14 days in prison and a $30,000 fine, the judge saying despite Huffman taking responsibility, the outrage isn't the harm to the colleges. The outrage is a system that is already so distorted by money and privilege in the first place. In May, the "Desperate Housewives" star pleaded guilty to one count of fraud for paying $15,000 to Rick Singer, who got her daughter extra time on a college entrance exam and bribed the administrator at the location where she took it. In a three-page letter to the judge explaining herself, Huffman wrote, "In my desperation to be a good mother I talked myself into believing that all I was doing was giving my daughter a fair shot. I see the irony in that statement now because what I've done is the opposite of fair." Huffman is the first parent sentenced in the sprawling federal investigation into college admissions cheating dubbed "Operation Varsity Blues." Dozens of wealthy prominent and connected parents, coaches and administrators have been charged in the scam, masterminded by Rick Singer. His front charity Key Worldwide Foundation purported to help disadvantaged kids in the U.S. and abroad. Singer who is cooperating with investigators has since confessed to taking tens of million dollars for helping kids of wealthy parents cheat on college entrance exams and bribing coaches to falsely designate students as athletes paving the way for their admissions. Also, caught up in the scandal, "Full House" actress Lori Loughlin whose two daughters were admitted to the University of Southern California as competitive rowers, even though they never participated in the sport. Prosecutors say she and her husband fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli paid Singer a half million dollars and even sent photos of both their daughters on rowing machines to bolster their false claims. Loughlin and Giannulli have both pleaded not guilty to fraud and money laundering. The charges carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.</s>MARQUEZ: Now Huffman has been ordered to report to prison on October 25th. It is not yet clear where she will do that that time. The judge saying in this case I think this is the right sentence here. You can rebuild your life after this. You've paid your dues. Brianna?</s>KEILAR: Miguel Marquez, thank you for that report. And coming up, Joe Biden sounding up beat in letting his campaign do the counterattacking in the wake of last night's debate. Did the attacks on Biden's age changing any minds? Also breaking, a newly formed tropical depression posing a threat to the Bahamas, stand by for the updated forecast.