WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Thom Tillis and seven of his Republican Senate colleagues recently sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland urging him to investigate cases of American institutions of higher education having ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). 

“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 senators wrote.

“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. 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. In both cases, the universities knowingly defrauded federal agencies critical to national security,” the senators continued. 

“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,” the senators concluded. 

Text of the full letter is available HERE.

###