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House Judiciary Committee Issues Subpoena to Brown University in Ivy League Price-Fixing Probe

By  |  July 1, 2025

On Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee escalated its investigation into alleged price-fixing within Ivy League institutions by issuing a subpoena for documents from Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania.

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    According to a statement included in a letter sent to Brown’s President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 and obtained by The Herald, the subpoena demands that all documents initially requested in an April 8 inquiry be submitted by July 22. The letter indicates that Brown has yet to provide the full set of materials originally sought by the committee.

    Per the same statement, Brown was first asked to submit documentation by April 22, on which date the university provided 93 documents. However, the committee’s Tuesday communication noted that despite some allowances for extended deadlines, Brown’s overall response has been deemed insufficient.

    University spokesperson Brian Clark, in an email to The Herald, said the institution has made “multiple document productions, providing information spanning a period of many years,” and claimed to have addressed over 90% of the committee’s requests since late April. Clark described the subpoena as “unnecessary given our voluntary compliance” but affirmed that Brown will continue cooperating fully with the investigation.

    Read more: Harvard Faces Subpoena in Tuition Price-Fixing Inquiry Led by House Republicans

    The committee had initially indicated its readiness to issue a subpoena on April 30, underscoring growing concerns about the university’s responsiveness.

    According to Clark’s statement, Brown remains committed to transparency and emphasized the university’s independence in setting tuition and financial aid policies. “As we respond, we are demonstrating that Brown has and continues to make decisions on tuition and financial aid independently as part of our commitment to making sure that no student’s family socioeconomic circumstances prevent them from accessing the benefits of a Brown education,” he said.

    Source: Brown Daily Herald