Overview

• The Office of General Counsel flagged that the university underreported tens of millions of dollars in foreign gifts and mislabeled government-affiliated donors in Section 117 filings.
• The department has ordered UM to submit tax records, foreign funding agreements and detailed lists of all gifts and personnel involved in international collaborations within 30 days.
• Investigators referenced June criminal charges against two Chinese nationals for allegedly smuggling a potential agroterrorism pathogen into a UM laboratory as grounds for heightened scrutiny.
• The probe aligns with President Trump’s executive order on Transparency Regarding Foreign Influence and follows similar inquiries at Harvard, UPenn and UC Berkeley.
• The University of Michigan says it will fully cooperate with investigators and is reviewing its disclosure policies to meet federal requirements.