House committee issues unprecedented subpoenas to Harvard in antisemitism investigation

Rep. Virginia Foxx, the Republican chairwoman of the House Education and Workforce Committee, said she decided to follow through on her subpoena threat because Harvard’s alleged failure to produce documents suggests the university is “obstructing” the committee’s investigation.

“It is my hope that these subpoenas serve as a wakeup call to Harvard that Congress will not tolerate antisemitic hate in its classrooms or on campus,” Foxx said in a statement.

This marks the first time the education committee has ever issued a subpoena since the panel was founded in March 1867, committee spokesperson Nick Barley told CNN. (At the time, it was known as the Committee on Education and Labor.)

Three different Harvard officials are being subpoenaed: Alan Garber, Harvard’s interim president; Penny Pritzker, the billionaire leader of the Harvard Corporation, the governing board of the school; and N.P. Narvekar, CEO of the Harvard Management Company.

The subpoenas order the Harvard officials to produce a series of documents by 5 pm ET on March 4.

In a cover letter sent to Harvard officials, Foxx wrote that the “evidence suggests that the school is obstructing this investigation and is willing to tolerate the proliferation of antisemitism on its campus.”

Foxx had delivered a final warning last week to Harvard to submit a narrowed list of high-priority documents by February 14 or face a subpoena. That list included meeting minutes since Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks on Israel and communications by university officials related to antisemitism.

Although Harvard did produce documents by the February 14 deadline, Foxx said the university “failed to make substantial productions on two of four priority requests.” The documents Harvard turned over on the other two priority requests “contain notable deficiencies, including apparent omissions and questionable redactions.”

Foxx said that out of the 2,516 pages that Harvard has produced, more than 40% were publicly available.

Harvard was not immediately available to comment on the subpoenas.

However, the university previously told CNN it is cooperating with the House investigation.

“In response to the Committee’s numerous requests for information and documents,” Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton said in a statement on Wednesday, “Harvard has responded extensively and in good faith—including ten (10) submissions totaling more than 3,500 pages that address the areas of inquiry put forward by the Committee— and we remain committed to continued cooperation.”

CNN has not reviewed the documents that Harvard says were submitted on Wednesday.

Newton said these submissions show the steps Harvard has and continues to take to fight antisemitism on campus as well as the resources available to students.

“Antisemitism has no place in the Harvard community,” the Harvard spokesperson said. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to combating antisemitism, in whatever form it manifests itself and our ongoing efforts to ensure that Jewish students feel safe, valued, and embraced at Harvard.”

The subpoena from Foxx requires Harvard to produce documents in 11 key areas by March 4 that she says would shed light on what steps Harvard is taking and previously took to keep Jewish students safe.

The documents covered by the subpoena include reports of antisemitic acts since early 2021, communications related to disciplinary action related to conduct involving antisemitism, all documents and communications involving top Harvard officials relating to antisemitism, all meeting minutes since early 2021 from Harvard’s top boards and communications related to an anti-Israel letter signed by student groups in October.

“Harvard’s continued failure to satisfy the committee’s request is unacceptable,” Foxx said in the statement. “I will not tolerate delay and defiance of our investigation while Harvard’s Jewish students continue to endure the firestorm of antisemitism.”

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