Source: Lori Loughlin Thought College-Admissions Bribes Were Totally Legal

Remember that whole college admissions scandal thing where Lori Loughlin allegedly paid half a million dollars to get her daughters into USC by pretending they were rowing recruits?

Funny story, turns out the whole thing was all a big misunderstanding. You see, Aunt Becky thought she was donating a library.

That’s according to People, anyway. An unnamed source reportedly told the magazine Loughlin “honestly didn’t think what she was doing was any different than donating money for a library or athletic field.”

To Loughlin’s credit, she’s not the only one who has espoused that line of thinking. Plenty of commenters have pointed out the spiritual similarities between the actions of the 50+ parents who have been implicated in the massive college-admissions scandal and the various forms of perfectly legal bribery that people have been using to get their kids into college for decades. Which is exactly why, since this whole thing first broke, everyone’s been wondering, “Why didn’t she just donate a library or something?”

Now we finally have our answer. That’s what Loughlin thought she was doing all along — or at least its equivalent. Sure, there was all that money laundering and the whole part where her kid posed as a rowing recruit even though the only boat she’d been on recently was a yacht owned by USC’s chairman. But what else would one expect when donating a library? It’s an honest mistake.

“She’s embarrassed and hurt, and she knows that her reputation has been ruined for life,” the source reportedly told People. “But she also believes the allegations against her aren’t true.”

After pleading not guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy in April, Loughlin and her husband are expected to appear in court on August 27. If convicted, the couple faces up to 40 years behind bars.

Editor’s Note: RealClearLife, a news and lifestyle publisher, is now a part of InsideHook. Together, we’ll be covering current events, pop culture, sports, travel, health and the world. Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.