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Ernst Tells DOJ to Investigate Communist China’s Influence on College Campuses

Letter

Date: Aug. 6, 2024
Location: Washington
Issues: Higher Education

Dear Attorney General Garland

We write regarding reports that American institutions of higher education (IHEs) are failing to disclose
financial ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Efforts to conceal CCP attempts to influence
American students and steal intellectual property threaten our national security.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has disclosed multiple cases where U.S. universities collaborated
illegally with the CCP. On July 16, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Maryland
announced that the University of Maryland paid $500,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False
Claims Act by failing to disclose funding from Chinese companies, including Alibaba.1 On October 2,
2023, the same office announced that Stanford University paid $1.9 million to resolve allegations related
to faculty’s ties with the CCP.2 In both cases, the universities knowingly defrauded federal agencies
critical to national security.

Undisclosed and unmonitored financial relationships between U.S. academia and the CCP are glaring
national security risks. Such relationships leave the U.S. vulnerable to intellectual property theft,
improper influence, and even espionage. It is imperative that DOJ take additional steps to swiftly address
this concern.

For those reason, please answer the following questions by September 2, 2024.

1. Has the frequency of IHEs committing False Claims Act violations as result of failing to disclose
funding from CCP-affiliated entities increased since January 1, 2020?
2. What is the current assessment of the threats posed to American students and federal research
initiatives by CCP involvement?
3. What steps does the DOJ take to mitigate CCP attempts to influence the U.S. education system?
4. How does the DOJ work with the rest of the interagency, including the Department of Defense, to
evaluate and mitigate these threats?

Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,


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