On May 19, 2025, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the U.S. Department of Justice will use the False Claims Act (FCA) to enforce the administration’s policies concerning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices and antisemitism. The FCA is a powerful tool, and its invocation by the DOJ is a signal to federal-funding recipients that they will face increased scrutiny. The May 19 Blanche memo now broadly announces an intention to investigate and pursue alleged FCA violations broadly against all recipients of federal funds, but makes special mention of colleges and universities as a focus of the initiative. Read the full Alert on the Duane Morris website.
Best Practices When Responding to DOE Investigations
In recent days, the Department of Education has announced two sets of investigations stemming from the administration’s application of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. The announced investigations are focused on institutional compliance within the context of the Supreme Court opinion and subsequent guidance from the Department of Education in the February 14, 2025, “Dear Colleague Letter.” Read the full Alert on the Duane Morris website.
Webinar Replay: Anatomy of the False Claims Act for Educational Institutions
A replay of the Anatomy of the False Claims Act for Educational Institutions webinar is now available for viewing.