Obama’s Secret Influence Over Universities Exposed

Former President Barack Obama has reportedly come to the defense of Harvard President Claudine Gay amidst the criticism she faced following her testimony on antisemitism before Congress. According to a confidential source familiar with the situation, Obama, a Harvard alumnus, engaged in private advocacy on Gay’s behalf in the aftermath of her appearance before Congress addressing antisemitism and threats against Jewish students at the prestigious Ivy League institution.

Sources suggest that Obama’s involvement aimed at fostering unity within the administration, seeking to maintain its stability and composition. In early December, Gay faced questioning before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, particularly on the university’s response to incidents advocating for the genocide of Jews on campus.

Criticism ensued, especially regarding Gay’s assertion that the university would only respond based on the “context” of such conduct. This prompted public outcry and even drew attention from the White House. Subsequently, Gay issued an apology, and the Harvard Corporation, the university’s highest governing body, issued a statement on December 12 supporting her, despite widespread calls for her resignation and allegations of plagiarism in her academic writing.

On Tuesday, a complaint was reportedly filed with Harvard’s research integrity officer, Stacey Springs, outlining over 40 allegations of plagiarism in Gay’s academic works. These ranged from missing quotation marks to entire paragraphs lifted verbatim. The Harvard Corporation acknowledged instances of “duplicative language without appropriate attribution” and stated that Gay would request corrections regarding her 1997 Ph.D. dissertation.

Amidst this controversy, House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx sent a letter to Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow Penny Pritzker seeking more information on how the university handled plagiarism allegations against Gay and questioning the application of Harvard’s Honor Code.

Pritzker, a former Obama administration official and major donor to Harvard, played a key role in Gay’s appointment. Despite speculation, Pritzker’s stance on Gay’s resignation remains unclear. The situation has raised questions about Pritzker’s role and whether she discussed the matter with Obama during the university’s deliberations on Gay’s fate.