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

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and seven of her senate colleagues sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging him to investigate cases of American higher education institutions having ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The letter comes after Ernst’s oversight efforts uncovered the Biden-Harris administration failed to open a single investigation despite a Senate report that found up to 70% of all institutions failed to comply with Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, allowing billions of dollars in foreign influence to flow into colleges and universities.

“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,” said the senators.

Click here to read the letter.

Background:

Ernst has been working to counter malicious influence on college campuses. She supports the DETERRENT Act which brings transparency, accountability, and clarity to foreign gift reporting requirements for American colleges and universities.

After a Department of Energy supported research article credited an Iranian scientist employed by Iran’s state-linked Sharif University of Technology, Senator Ernst worked to ensure taxpayer dollars did not and will not directly or indirectly support illicit Iranian research ever again.

###