Actor Felicity Huffman is among a dozen people who will plead guilty in the U.S. college admissions scandal, signaling that prosecutors are aggressively wresting deals from the wealthy parents.
Federal prosecutors on Monday announced the deals, identifying the parents and a University of Texas men’s tennis coach who have now negotiated plea bargains. It’s not yet clear what their sentences will be.
“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,” Huffman said in a statement. “My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her.”
In all, 33 parents were charged last month in the largest college admissions scandal the U.S. has ever prosecuted. On Friday, Gordon Caplan, the former co-chair of Willkie Farr & Gallagher and one of the highest-profile parents in the scandal, said he would admit his guilt.
“No words can express how profoundly sorry we are for what we have done,” two of the parents, Bruce and Davina Isackson, said in a statement on Monday. “Our duty as parents was to set a good example for our children and instead we have harmed and embarrassed them.” They added that they have also let down their “entire community” and said they have cooperated with prosecutors and would continue to do so.
Along with Huffman, Caplan and the Isacksons, the others who will plead guilty are Gregory and Marcia Abbott, Jane Buckingham, Robert Flaxman, Agustin Huneeus, Marjorie Klapper, Stephen Semprevivo and Devin Sloane. Another parent, Peter Jan Sartorio, will also admit wrongdoing.
Michael Center, who coached tennis at the University of Texas, will also plead guilty, prosecutors said, joining two other ex-coaches — Rudy Meredith of Yale University and John Vandemoer of Stanford University — who have also acknowledged their guilt.
Prosecutors have said the investigation continues and have indicated they will file additional charges in the case.