Posted on 10/03/2026 8:42:03 AM PDT by DFG
A federal judge blocked the Education Department on Thursday from releasing a list of foreign donors to Harvard, Columbia and other top US universities — ruling that the disclosure of the confidential information could “constitute irreparable harm.”
DC US District Judge Tanya Chutkan slapped the temporary restraining order on the Trump administration as it was seeking to publish a list of all foreign donors who have given up to $5.2 billion to the universities since 2020.
So-called non-natural person entities accounted for the vast majority of the $5.2 billion, officials noted, rather than individual donors.
“This would be a foreign government; this could be a foreign military; this could be a foreign business, could be any of those things,” an Education Department official said of the list, or “an enterprise connected to a university, that’s connected to Chinese intelligence or the PLA [People’s Liberation Army].”
“Here, Defendants threaten to imminently publish the names of donors who have hitherto remained anonymous for every internet user to see in posterity,” wrote Chutkan in the five-page order.
“Once published, the information will likely never escape the public eye. Indeed, the disclosure may produce downstream harms to the safety of donors who live in politically repressive countries,” added Chutkan, an appointee of former President Barack Obama.
Revealing the names of the foreign donors, the judge ruled, would likely violate the Administrative Procedure Act as a result.
The order will remain in place for the next 28 days, while Chutkan mulls a more temporary injunction against publishing the names.
The Association of American Universities, which brought the suit against the Department of Education earlier Thursday, argued that donors contributed based on “assurances” that their privacy would be guarded.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Chutkan strikes again.
Me thinks that a DOJ investigation into the financials of these Federal Judge’s is in order....
The notion of transparency gives Democrats the tremors...
It seems we gave the muslims gobs of money for their oil, and they are using that money to destroy our culture.
Then just take away their Federal funding.
Don’t large donations have to be listed on the entity’s annual 990? This list would just be a compilation of those disclosures.
May not be judges discretion, the law provides non-disclosure on donors information supplied to the government when filing 990’s and other required reporting.
A law change should easily get Democrats vote /s
May not be judges discretion, the law provides non-disclosure on donors information supplied to the government when filing 990’s and other required reporting.
A law change should easily get Democrats vote /s
When no one else can, Chutkan.
I don’t think colleges are 501c3s...their “foundations” would be, however...going to look now
Just ignore the judge and do it anyway!
“ruling that the disclosure of the confidential information could “constitute irreparable harm.”
Really? Now how is that possible?
Leak it out anyway. Screw you upchuck.
Judge Tanya Chutkan born in Jamaica, Mon! Appointed by Obama.
AI Overview
Tanya Sue Chutkan is a United States District Judge for the District of Columbia known for presiding over high-profile January 6 Capitol riot cases and Donald Trump’s 2020 election subversion federal criminal case.
Early Life and Education
• Birth: Born July 5, 1962, in Kingston, Jamaica.
• Undergraduate: Bachelor of Arts in Economics from George Washington University (1983).
• Law Degree: Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School (1987).
Career Background
• Private Practice: Worked at law firms including Hogan & Hartson, Donovan Leisure, and as a partner specializing in litigation and white-collar defense at Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP.
• Public Defender: Served as a trial attorney and supervisor at the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (1991–2002), handling serious felony cases.
• Judicial Appointment: Nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed as a U.S. District Judge in June 2014.
Key Legal and Judicial Actions
• White House Records: Ruled against Donald Trump’s executive privilege claims regarding January 6 House committee records in 2021, famously noting that “Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not president”.
• January 6 Sentences: Presided over numerous criminal cases related to the Capitol attack, often matching or exceeding sentences requested by prosecutors.
• Trump Election Case: Assigned to oversee the federal election subversion case brought against Donald Trump by Special Counsel Jack Smith.
😡😡😡
😡😡😡
There needs to be a season and bounty on federal judges.
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