The U.S. Department of Education announced that it had sent a records request to Harvard University last week, after a review of the university’s foreign assets revealed “incomplete and inaccurate disclosures.”
“As a recipient of federal funding, Harvard University must be transparent about its relations with foreign sources and governments,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said. “Unfortunately, our review indicated that Harvard has not been fully transparent or complete in its disclosures, which is both unacceptable and unlawful.”
The records request asks Harvard to comply within 30 days of receipt.
“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,” McMahon said. “We hope Harvard will respect its own motto and be truthful in its federal filings and foreign relationships.”
U.S. law requires postsecondary institutions that receive federal funding to disclose foreign gifts and contracts to the Education Department if their value exceeds $250,000.
U.S. President Donald Trump and the federal Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism recently froze $2.2 billion in grants and $60 million worth of contracts to the Ivy League school unless it met certain demands, which Harvard rejected. Trump also directed the Internal Revenue Service to look into removing Harvard’s tax-exempt status.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security canceled $2.7 million in grants to the Ivy League school.