Education Department Seeks Records From Harvard

The Education Department accused Harvard University of not fully complying with a federal law that requires colleges to disclose all foreign gifts and contracts totaling $250,000 or more. 

The department said Friday that its review of Harvard’s disclosures showed they were “incomplete and inaccurate.” As a result, the department requested records related to all of Harvard’s foreign gifts and contracts and procedures related to complying with Section 117, the federal law that requires the disclosures. Additionally, the department wants information about foreign students who have been expelled since January 2016 as well as lists of funding sources for “any research conducted by foreign expelled students” and of all researchers, scholars, students or faculty affiliated with foreign governments. Harvard has 30 days to turn over the requested information, according to the department’s news release. 

“This records request is the Trump Administration’s first step to ensure Harvard is not being manipulated by, or doing the bidding of, foreign entities, which include actors who are hostile to the interests of the United States and American students,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement. “We hope Harvard will respect its own motto and be truthful in its federal filings and foreign relationships.”

The request came just a few days after Harvard rejected sweeping demands from the  Trump administration’s antisemitism task force, which appears to be leading the effort to crack down on higher ed. Since Harvard said no, the IRS has said it’s reviewing the university’s tax-exempt status, and the Department of Homeland Security threatened to revoke Harvard’s ability to enroll international students.