The Trump administration escalated its feud with Harvard by launching a new Justice Department investigation into the Ivy League’s admissions policies. According to a 14-page letter reviewed by The New York Times, the DOJ informed Harvard Monday that it would be investigating whether or not its admissions process was used to defraud the government under the False Claims Act. It is uncommon for a university to be targeted with the False Claims Act, which is a law typically meant to punish contractors who have been accused of swindling the government. Although the letter doesn’t specify how exactly Harvard might have attempted to defraud the government, the university could be fined hundreds of millions of dollars if found liable. Jonathan Swain, a Harvard spokesperson, said that the university would continue to fight back against the government, claiming that the administration’s actions “will lead to devastating consequences for our nation’s health, economic prosperity, and scientific leadership.” He added: “This investigation is yet another abusive and retaliatory action — the latest of many — that the administration has initiated against Harvard.”
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