The recent college admissions scandal is receiving the small-screen treatment.
According to Variety, Annapurna Television has optioned the rights to Accepted, an upcoming book by Wall Street Journal reporters Melissa Korn and Jennifer Levitz. The non-fiction book will explore the details of "Operation Varsity Blues," a FBI investigation that exposed a large-scale bribery scheme at America's top universities. Variety reports award-winning writer D.V. DeVincentis (American Crime Story and High Fidelity) will adapt the book for television; Sue Naegle, Ali Krug, and Patrick Chu have signed on to produce.
At this time, it's unclear which network will scoop the limited series.
Operation Varsity Blues came to light back in March, when federal agents accused 33 wealthy parents of using bribes and bogus credentials to guarantee their children's admissions into prominent schools. Among those indicted was Fuller House star Lori Loughlin, who is accused of paying $500,000 in bribes so that her two daughters would be designated as recruits to the USC crew team.
Sources familiar with the case say Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, did not realize they were committing a crime when they paid the money to William Rick Singer, the alleged mastermind behind the college admissions scam.
"Calling in favors, donating money to the alumni association, hiring consultants. Those are all things that parents do," an insider told People magazine. "And so they gave money to this consultant, not entirely knowing everything that was going to be done. When it all fell apart, nobody was as surprised as they were that they were in trouble."
Loughlin's daughters Olivia Jade and Isabella Rose were ultimately designated as USC rowing recruits, despite having never participating in the sport; however, the actress' defense team may have received some help from a resurfaced USC crew team poster that reads: "no previous rowing experience necessary."
It's unclear of Loughlin's legal team will use the poster as part of their defense. As TMZ points out, it's not unusual for existing USC students to join the team without any experience; but this lenient policy is "not for some random people on the street who want in at USC."
