Kevork Djansezian/NBC/NBC via Getty Images As the breaking news made headlines on Tuesday, an interview Parade published with Macy in January resurfaced with a focus on his comments about his daughter's college applications. "She's going to go to college," he told the magazine of his 18-year-old firstborn daughter, Sofia Macy, who he said goes to a performing arts high school in Los Angeles. "I'm the outlier in this thing. We're right now in the thick of college application time, which is so stressful. I am voting that once she gets accepted, she maybe takes a year off." The actor continued, "God doesn't let you be 18 twice. I know from casting, if you need a 25-, 26-year-old actress, there are a lot of them out there and they're really good. But if you need a 15-, 16-year-old actress, it's tough. Sofia looks young. I think this is an opportunity for her. But it's just my opinion, and we'll see what she wants to do, what Felicity thinks and how the chips fall."<doc-sep>× William H. Macy arrived at L.A.'s Edward R. Roybal Federal Building hours after his wife, Felicity Huffman, was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud. In a federal court Tuesday afternoon, Felicity Huffman stood in front of a magistrate to answer charges that she took part in an audacious scheme to get her child into an elite university through fraud. Her husband, fellow actor William H. Macy, was sitting in the courtroom, but in the audience. Federal prosecutors had charged Huffman in the case but not Macy. This has raised some questions. Here is what we know. Advertisement Q: What is Huffman accused of doing? Huffman is accused of disguising a $15,000 charitable payment in the bribery scheme, according to court records. Prosecutors allege she met with a confidential witness who explained that he could control an SAT testing center and could arrange for someone to proctor her daughter’s test and correct it. Huffman’s older daughter took the test in December 2017 and received a score of 1420. That was a 400-point improvement from her first test. In October, Huffman was recorded by the FBI allegedly discussing participating in the same scheme for her younger daughter; however, she did not ultimately pursue it. She was among dozens swept up in what prosecutors called the largest college admissions fraud scheme they’d ever seen. Full coverage: Dozens charged — including Hollywood actresses — in connection with college admissions scheme » Q: What do the court documents say about Macy? The court documents mention Macy much less than Huffman. But they suggest Macy knew about many of the activities. The alleged mastermind of the scheme, William “Rick” Singer, met with the couple at their homes and laid out parts of the plan, court records show. The records say the couple agreed to the plan. The complaint alleges Macy was on a Dec. 12, 2018, call with Huffman and Singer. Their discussion was about their youngest daughter taking the SAT over two days. “Do we want two days?” Macy is quoted as asking. “She’ll score higher. Just her base score will be higher if we did it over two days.” Advertisement In that case, the couple didn’t pursue the idea. In an interview published in Parade magazine in January, Macy talked about his daughter applying to colleges. “We’re right now in the thick of college application time, which is so stressful. I am voting that once she gets accepted, she maybe takes a year off. God doesn’t let you be 18 twice,” he said. Huffman was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud. She has a court appearance in Boston in several weeks. Her attorney declined to comment. Advertisement Authorities have not said why Macy was not charged. Louis Shapiro, a defense attorney who regularly represents federal defendants, said “when it comes to William H. Macy, it comes down to how culpable is he and how much evidence the government has against him.” “Based on the evidence in the complaint, his wife played a far more significant role,” Shapiro said. “Felicity Huffman is the more active member of the couple and is in more of the communication clearly with Rick Singer,” Shapiro said. Advertisement Shapiro said it is common for prosecutors to mention a spouse in a filing who “doesn’t have criminal culpability.” He added Macy’s discussions about his younger daughter didn’t actually amount to anything. Q: Wasn’t the case of Lori Loughlin different? Yes. Loughlin, of “Full House” fame, was charged along with her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, the creator of clothing brand Mossimo. The couple allegedly agreed to pay $500,000 in bribes to have their two daughters recruited to the USC rowing team (even though neither of them actually row) in order to gain admission to the school, according to the complaint. Advertisement A cooperating witness told the couple their younger daughter’s crew profile would show their daughter, falsely, as a coxswain for the L.A. Marina Club team, and asked for an “action picture,” according to the complaint. In response, Giannuli sent a picture of their younger daughter on an ergometer, an indoor rowing machine. In 2017, a guidance counselor from the high school their daughters attended did not believe they rowed and raised concerns that their applications might have misleading information, according to the complaint. Shapiro said it is relatively rare in his experience for two spouses to be charged in the same case.<doc-sep>After a frenzied few hours in which federal authorities made several high profile arrests -- and outlined a top-secret investigation into an alleged scam involving rich and famous clients paying millions to a network of counselors and coaches to ensure their privileged children be granted admission to some of the country’s most prestigious colleges -- a judge said on Tuesday that jailed actress Felicity Huffman, accused of paying a bribe to help get her daughter into a top school, was eligible for release on $250,000 bond. A magistrate judge also ordered on Tuesday that the "Desperate Housewives" alum restrict her travel to the continental United States. Court documents said Huffman, 54, paid $15,000, which she disguised as a charitable donation, so her daughter could take part in the college entrance-exam cheating scam. LORI LOUGHLIN'S KID SAID SHE DIDN'T 'REALLY CARE ABOUT SCHOOL' IN VID RESURFACED AMID COLLEGE SCAM CHARGES The documents stated that a cooperating witness met with Huffman and her husband, actor William H. Macy, at their Los Angeles home and explained to them that he "controlled" a testing center and could have someone secretly change her daughter's answers. The person told investigators the couple agreed to the plan. The judge asked Huffman: “I’m not asking you to admit or deny the charges against you but do you understand what the government claims you did?” She replied: “Yes.” The court appearance came hours after it was revealed that Huffman and fellow Hollywood actress Lori Loughlin were among the boldfaced names in a veritable who's who of the rich and powerful charged in the case. The actress, dressed in a black sweatshirt, glasses, and her hair pulled back into a ponytail, looked visibly tired in court on Tuesday as her lawyer argued for her release on her own recognizance because “she is not the kind of person who is going to become an international fugitive over this matter.” The prosecution would not accept that, citing her net worth. Fox News has learned that Huffman and Macy have real estate assets in excess of $20 million dollars and stocks worth around $4 million. FELICITY HUFFMAN, LORI LOUGHLIN AMONG 50 SNARED IN ELITE COLLEGE CHEATING SCAM, AUTHORITIES SAY Macy, 69, dressed in a gray jacket and blue jeans, took notes during his wife's hearing. He looked engaged and focused on the terms of Huffman's release as they were being read aloud. Huffman's defense pushed back after the prosecution requested that the actress not be able to communicate with her husband since he's a witness in the case. The judge balked at the request and excluded him from known witnesses or subjects with whom she may not be in contact. Also among the 13 defendants appearing in court on Tuesday was "Fuller House" star Loughlin's famed fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli. WILLIAM H. MACY ADDRESSED DAUGHTER'S 'STRESSFUL' COLLEGE APPLICATION PROCESS BEFORE WIFE FELICITY HUFFMAN'S ARREST The judge ruled Giannulli will be released on a $1 million dollar bond, securing the couple's home as bond. Giannulli's attorney said part of the reason they came to this agreement was with the hopes that Loughlin, also indicted in the case, would receive the same bond deal as well as be allowed to travel to Vancouver. The judge also ordered that Giannulli restrict his travel to the continental United States. Loughlin, who did not appear in court on Tuesday, reportedly has been filming a movie in Vancouver. According to multiple reports, the actress landed at LAX on Tuesday during the court hearing. A rep for Loughlin did not respond to Fox News' request for comment. Federal authorities have also charged college coaches and others in the case. LORI LOUGHLIN RESPONDS TO JOHN STAMOS CALLING HER 'THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY' The racketeering conspiracy charges ensnared coaches at schools such as Wake Forest University, Georgetown and the University of Southern California. Investigators said the coaches accepted bribes in exchange for admitting students as athletes, regardless of their ability. TV CELEBRITIES, COACHES CHARGED IN COLLEGE BRIBERY SCHEME: THE FULL LIST Investigators said parents would pay a predetermined amount to college entrance consultant William Rick Singer, who then would give the funds to coaches, SAT or ACT administrators. The alleged fund amounts ranged from several thousand dollars to $6 million. The documents alleged that Loughlin and Giannulli "agreed to pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team – despite the fact that they did not participate in crew – thereby facilitating their admission to USC." EMILY RATAJKOWSKI ACCUSED OF BEING A 'NIGHTMARE' NEIGHBOR, SKIPPING RENT Officials claimed to have obtained emails from Loughlin supporting their case. Loughlin's daughter, the YouTube sensation Olivia Jade, attends USC. It was not immediately clear if Loughlin's other daughter, Isabella, attended the university. WHY FREE EDUCATION IS NOT THE ANSWER TO THE STUDENT DEBT CRISIS Investigators claimed Huffman and Macy "made a purported charitable contribution of $15,000 ... to participate in the college entrance exam cheating scheme on behalf of her eldest daughter. Huffman later made arrangements to pursue the scheme a second time, for her younger daughter, before deciding not to do so." Huffman and Macy's daughter reportedly had twice the normal amount of time to take the SAT, and her proctor was paid to correct her answers after she completed the test. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP VOWS TO SIGN EXECUTIVE ORDER GUARANTEEING FREE SPEECH AT COLLEGES Prosecutors explained in a news conference Tuesday morning that many parents linked to the scheme obtained letters from their children's therapists explaining that they needed more time for the standardized tests as a way for their children to take the exams privately with paid proctors who would correct the students' errors. They specified that Huffman allegedly participated in the SAT scheme. When Macy was asked by Fox News on Tuesday if he wanted to comment on his wife’s case, the 68-year-old "Shameless" star replied, simply, “No.” In January, Macy told Parade his and Huffman's eldest daughter, Sofia Grace, was in the college application process and that he hoped she'd take a year off of school before starting.<doc-sep>David Mamet is defending longtime friend Felicity Huffman and her husband, Shameless actor William H. Macy, following the actress’ indictment Tuesday in a wide-reaching college admissions bribery scandal. In an open letter, the Oscar-nominated writer of Wag the Dog and The Verdict wrote that he’s known Huffman for 35 years and is “crazy” about the former Desperate Housewives star and her husband, with whom he started the Off Broadway Atlantic Theatre Company. Huffman and Full House actress Lori Loughlin and 48 other high-profile individuals were indicted in connection with a federal college admissions cheating investigation. They allegedly participated in a nationwide conspiracy to get students admitted to top colleges including Georgetown, Stanford, USC and Yale, according to a federal indictment. Mamet blamed Huffman’s alleged role in the admissions scheme on “a parent’s zeal for her children’s future” and called the situation “unfortunate.” He added that he’s worked “in and around our Elite Universities” for many years and their admissions policies are a “corrupt joke.” Here’s Mamet’s full letter:<doc-sep>
William H. Macy opened up about the stress of his older daughter applying for college just two months before wife Felicity Huffman was charged in an entrance exam scheme Felicity Huffman’s husband William H. Macy got candid about the stress of going through college applications with his daughter two months before Huffman was charged in a scheme to get her child accepted. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI said in the indictment released on Tuesday that the alleged scheme helped students gain acceptance to top schools by helping them cheat on college exams. Federal agents secretly recorded telephone calls with Huffman, 50, and a cooperating witness, which allegedly show Huffman agreeing to pay $15,000 in order to help her older daughter Sofia, 18, get a higher SAT score, the indictment states. Screening Of Samuel Goldwyn Films' "Rudderless" - Arrivals William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman with their daughters Georgia and Sofia | Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty “She’s going to go to college… We’re right now in the thick of college application time, which is so stressful,” Macy, 68, said in an interview with Parade in January. “I am voting that once she gets accepted, she maybe takes a year off. God doesn’t let you be 18 twice… But it’s just my opinion, and we’ll see what she wants to do, what Felicity thinks and how the chips fall.” william-h-macy-daughters-1 William H. Macy with daughter Sofia Macy and Huffman are also parents to daughter Georgia Grace Macy, 16. The pair tied the knot on Sept. 6, 1997 after meeting in the early 1980s at New York City’s Atlantic Theater Company. WATCH: Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin Among Dozens Indicted in Alleged College Admissions Scam Federal court records unsealed Tuesday in Boston name 50 people who have been allegedly indicted as part of the nationwide scheme, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts. Huffman was allegedly part of a scheme in which a proctor was arranged and flown out to West Hollywood to help her daughter during the SAT, which she was also given extra time for. The agreement included the special proctor changing Sofia’s answers to correct ones to help her get a higher score. felicity-huffman Felicity Huffman; Lori Loughlin | Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty; Gary Gershoff/Getty Some named in the court documents allegedly paid bribes of up to $6 million to get their children into elite colleges, including Yale, Stanford, Georgetown, the University of Southern California, UCLA, the University of San Diego, University of Texas, Wake Forest, and Yale, according to federal prosecutors. Full House actress Lori Loughlin was also charged for allegedly giving $500,000 to say her child was part of the rowing team, when that was not true, the indictment states.