Trump Administration Escalates Harvard Feud With New Justice Dept. Investigation

The Trump administration is investigating whether Harvard’s admissions policies comply with a Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action, opening a new front in its widening effort to bring the institution to heel.

In a letter on Monday, the Justice Department notified Harvard about an investigation into whether its admissions process had been used to defraud the government. The inquiry was opened under the False Claims Act, a law designed to punish those who swindle the government, according to the letter, which was reviewed by The New York Times.

The investigation adds to the mounting pressure on the nation’s oldest, wealthiest university to overhaul its admissions, curriculum and hiring practices to align with President Trump’s political agenda. The Education Department also informed Harvard earlier this month that its admissions policies were the subject of a new compliance review to determine whether the university was racially discriminating against undergraduate applicants, according to a letter from the agency that was also seen by The Times.

The compliance review and the Justice Department investigation have not been previously reported. Targeting a university under the False Claims Act is highly unusual, reflecting the administration’s increasingly aggressive tactics.

False Claims Act investigations typically focus on contractors accused of bilking the government. If it is found liable, Harvard will have to return money to the government and could be fined hundreds of millions of dollars.

The new inquiries push the administration deeper into a politically combustible debate over wealth, privilege and race. It is also the latest example of the Trump administration’s willingness to use the vast powers of the Justice Department to further its political goals.