House GOP threatens to subpoena Columbia University over antisemitism investigation

House Education Committee Chair Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) sent a letter to Columbia University Thursday threatening to subpoena school officials over their alleged failure to produce documents relating to the lawmaker’s antisemitism probe.

The House committee launched an investigation into antisemitism on Columbia’s campus in February, wanting information on antisemitic incidents and disciplinary measures on campus. 

In the Thursday letter, Foxx says the school failed to give the committee “priority items” such as “communications by priority custodians of documents, including multiple members of Columbia’s Board of Trustees; records of Board of Trustees meetings; and requested information on disciplinary cases.” 

The North Carolina Republican stressed these documents were “requested months ago.” 

“Columbia’s continued failure to produce these priority items is unacceptable, and if this is not promptly rectified, the Committee is prepared to compel their production,” she wrote. 

The committee is giving Columbia until Aug. 8 to produce the documents they requested, including information regarding student disciplinary actions, records of meetings between the Board of Trustees and antisemitism incidents since the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by militant group Hamas — which sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.  

“If these requests are not satisfied by the above deadline, the Committee is prepared to issue subpoenas,” Foxx said.  

If a subpoena is issued, it would only be the second time the committee took that step since it was created in 1867. The first time was in February when Republican issued subpoenas against Harvard leadership for alleged failure in complying with their antisemitism investigation.  

Columbia was a leading university in the pro-Palestinian protests that happened last spring, with many suspended or arrested on campus after the student activists erected an encampment and took over a college building.