环球网报道】Multiple US media outlets, including The Washington Post, cited知情 sources on the 16th local time saying that the Trump administration has requested the Internal Revenue Service to revoke Harvard University's tax-exempt status. This move comes amid a controversy between President Trump and the Ivy League school regarding its diversity initiatives. Just the day before, Trump threatened on his social media to treat Harvard University as a "political entity" and revoke its tax-exempt status.
Reportedly, Andrew DeMello, acting chief counsel of the IRS, received a request from the Treasury Department on Wednesday to revoke Harvard University's tax-exempt status.
Harvard University - Photo Source: Foreign Media Reports
Additionally, according to The Hill, under tax laws, only the IRS has the authority to review and revoke the tax-exempt status of taxable entities, and traditionally this process should be conducted without presidential intervention.
On the same day (the 16th), US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the cancellation of two grants totaling over $2.7 million awarded by the Department of Homeland Security to Harvard University.
Recently, the federal government has been threatening to freeze federal funds to demand reforms from several universities. The famous private university Harvard University chose to "stand firm". On the 14th, Harvard University rejected the Trump administration's major demands for reforming its management structure, hiring, and admission policies. The US government then announced the freezing of about $2.26 billion in federal funds allocated to the university. On the 15th, Trump further threatened to revoke Harvard University's tax-exempt status and demanded an apology.
It is reported that the main demands of the Trump administration include eradicating alleged anti-Semitism and abolishing diversity measures favoring minority groups on campuses. In the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a series of pro-Palestinian protest activities erupted at universities across the United States last year, drawing government attention to campus anti-Semitic sentiment.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7494119391018107427/
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