Lawsuit over transparency in higher education fueled by Penn Biden Center’s foreign ties.
A Lawsuit Filed Against the Department of Education
A conservative think tank, the Defense of Freedom Institute, has taken legal action against the Department of Education. The lawsuit aims to compel the department to produce documents related to its enforcement of Section 117 of the Higher Education Act. This section requires universities to disclose donations from foreign entities.
The Defense of Freedom Institute alleges that the department has failed to comply with two Freedom of Information Act requests seeking information on how Section 117 is being enforced. The organization claims that the department has neglected its duty to enforce the statute.
“Since 2021, the Department has refused to enforce Section 117 disclosure and transparency requirements against colleges and universities,” the lawsuit states. “In part, DFI’s FOIA requests are calculated to demonstrate the Department’s failure to ensure that institutions of higher education comply with Section 117. The Department’s refusal to provide a full, comprehensive production of records — indeed, any records — pursuant to DFI’s FOIA requests underscores the apparent abandonment of Section 117 enforcement by the Department.”
Investigating Chinese Donations
Meanwhile, congressional investigators, led by the House Oversight Committee, are seeking answers regarding Chinese donations to the University of Pennsylvania, home to the Penn Biden Center. The discovery of documents related to this issue sparked a special counsel investigation into President Biden’s handling of classified materials.
In a press release, the Defense of Freedom Institute highlights that the Department of Education halted the enforcement of Section 117 shortly after the Biden administration assumed office. The think tank also points out that the University of Pennsylvania experienced a 400% increase in foreign donations after establishing the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement.
“The Biden administration thinks it’s above scrutiny,” says Bob Eitel, the president and co-founder of the Defense of Freedom Institute. “The public has a legal right to know who’s influencing the administration on higher education issues that, frankly, have national security implications. DFI has demanded answers for nearly 18 months to no avail. This lawsuit is a critical next step for DFI’s oversight work, which seeks to shine a light on the role played by foreign interests and self-interested lobbyists in the administration’s education policy-making.”
Under the Trump administration and Secretary Betsy DeVos in 2020, the Department of Education released a comprehensive report revealing that U.S. universities had failed to disclose $6.5 billion in foreign gifts. The department also introduced an online portal for universities to report foreign gifts.
Last year, the American Council on Education expressed gratitude to Department of Education officials for closing all investigations initiated by the Trump administration and for their commitment to addressing concerns with the existing reporting portal.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to the White House and the Department of Education for comment.
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