A sign is displayed outside the Internal Revenue Service building on May 4, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
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A nonprofit watchdog group sued the Trump administration on Monday for “unlawfully withholding records” regarding President Trump’s actions against Harvard University, including efforts to revoke the institution’s tax-exempt status.
American Oversight — which recently sued the White House over its use of the messaging app signal Signal and often works to release government information under the Freedom of Information Act — filed the suit in D.C. District Court.
“Our lawsuit seeks to compel the IRS, the Department of Treasury and Department of Education to release records that they’re unlawfully withholding from the public,” Chioma Chukwu, executive director of American Oversight, told NPR. “The documents that underlie this lawsuit could reveal potential political interference by the president in agency operations.”
A group of lawyers created American Oversight in 2017, in response to President Trump’s first term in the White House, according to its website.
The White House has criticized Harvard and other Ivy League schools for not doing enough to protect Jewish students on campus in the midst of protests against the war in Gaza.
In April, the Trump administration froze more than $2.2 billion in university grants after Harvard rejected the White House’s demands that it eliminate DEI programs, screen international students, and ensure “viewpoint diversity” in its hiring. In May, the White House said it would cut another $450 million in grants to Harvard, and Trump insisted the school should lose its tax-exempt status.
But the law bars the executive branch from using the Internal Revenue Service to target any particular taxpayer. Harvard has also sued the administration over its actions.
American Oversight said it made a FOIA request in April for White House communication records regarding Trump’s recent actions against Harvard, but “the IRS failed to comply with legal deadlines to produce the records,” according to a press release.
“We have experienced nothing but stonewalling,” Chukwu said, adding that she sees the lawsuit as not just about Harvard.
“Ultimately, this is about President Trump using the levers of the federal government to punish his critics and silence anyone who pushes back against his unlawful agenda,” Chukwu said. “Today it’s Harvard. Tomorrow, it can be any university, any nonprofit or foundation that stands up for the public good.”
Nearly all colleges and universities are tax-exempt organizations, along with many charities, religious institutions and some political organizations. Their tax-exempt status has also contributed to some elite universities amassing huge endowments; Harvard’s is the largest at more than $50 billion.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment shortly after the lawsuit was filed.
