Parents in College Scandal Make a Legal ‘Declaration of War’

Lawyers for the parents indicted in the college admissions scandal are building an arsenal of defenses, taking aim at a conspiracy charge at the heart of the case as well as a money-laundering allegation the U.S. added last week.

As some parents, including former TPG executive Bill McGlashan, ex-Pimco chief Douglas Hodge and TV sitcom veteran Lori Loughlin, begin to marshal their arguments, others have already punched back. Most have the money to mount an aggressive, multi-front defense.

“When you take on well-heeled clients, you’re inevitably inviting a battle,” said Peter Henning, a former federal prosecutor who teaches at Wayne ...