Investing.com -- The Trump administration is increasing scrutiny on Harvard University, requesting records of foreign funding received over the past decade, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The government’s request includes detailed information about foreign source gifts, grants, and contracts, and all associated parties. Moreover, the administration has asked for electronic communication records between Harvard and foreign governments or individuals, as well as information on foreign students expelled since 2016.
American universities are required to report semiannually on foreign source funding, which often amounts to billions in grants, contracts, or gifts. The U.S. Department of Education’s office of the General Counsel, in a letter to Harvard President Alan Garber on Thursday, alleged that Harvard’s disclosures between 2014 and 2019 were "incomplete and inaccurate".
Federal law mandates that universities report foreign source donations exceeding $250,000. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon stated that the request for records is the first step in ensuring that Harvard is not being influenced by foreign entities. However, no evidence was presented to support this claim.
Harvard has responded, stating that it has been filing reports for decades in compliance with the law, including information on gifts and contracts from foreign sources exceeding $250,000 annually.
This request for records is the latest move in an ongoing dispute between Harvard and the Trump administration. The administration has demanded structural changes at the university and has proposed auditing staff, faculty, and students for their viewpoints. These demands were rejected by the university on Monday, with Garber labeling them as an illegal attack on the school’s independence.
In response, the federal government has frozen $2.26 billion in funding.