The Department of Education announced on Friday that it will initiate an investigation at the University of California, Berkeley regarding reports of improper foreign funding.
The department claims that the university may have breached Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, stating that the documents submitted on the institution’s behalf were “incomplete or inaccurate.” Friday’s announcement.
Institutions of higher education receiving federal financial support are required to disclose foreign source gifts and contracts exceeding $250,000 per year to the education sector.
In May 2023, Daily Beast reported that Berkeley accepted $220 million from the Chinese government and established a joint venture with the Tinga Belkelly Shenzen Institute.
The department acknowledged that the investigation was prompted by media reports alleging that Berkeley had received hundreds of millions in funding from foreign governments, though it did not detail which articles or countries were referenced.
In 2023, Berkeley ultimately conceded that it did not report millions in foreign government funding, as mandated by Section 117, according to a departmental statement.
This assertion was followed by a 2024 report from Republicans alleging that the university’s research aided China’s military development. Associated Press.
“The Biden Harris administration has ignored the university’s legal responsibilities by enabling surveillance and permitting foreign gifts to flood American campuses. Despite widespread compliance failures, the probe into Section 117 was not initiated for four years,” remarked Education Secretary Linda McMahon.
“I have full confidence in my office to thoroughly investigate these matters. They will commence by meticulously reviewing UC Berkeley’s evident failure to fully and accurately disclose the significant funds received from foreign entities,” she continued.
Berkeley refuted the fraud allegations.
“For the past two years, Berkeley, California has been cooperating with federal inquiries concerning 117 reporting issues, and we will continue this cooperation,” the university stated in a message obtained by Hill.
The Trump administration’s crackdown on Berkeley follows the withdrawal of federal funds from Columbia and Harvard University for not complying with McMahon’s call for a comprehensive restructuring of campus frameworks.
Columbia complied with the order, while Harvard has garnered significant attention for its legal challenge against the administration.
