DOHA, QATAR - SEPTEMBER 20: A view of the "Reimagining Palestine" conference organized by Georgetown University and featuring speakers from around the world at Four Seasons Hotel in Doha, the capital of Qatar on September 20, 2024. The conference, attended by academics, experts and activists from around the world, will feature 67 speakers in 17 panels on September 20-21-22. (Photo by Ali Altunkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images)
  • The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate Georgetown University for allegedly failing to register a contract between Georgetown’s Bridge Initiative and Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
  • The contract promised more than $600,000 to Georgetown’s Bridge Initiative from June 2024 to January 2026 for conferences showcasing research on Islamophobia and called for coordination with Qatar’s Islam and Muslims Initiative, while also including clauses preserving Georgetown’s academic autonomy.
  • The Brandeis Center said the coordination requirement could make Georgetown an agent of the Qatari government. The Hoya reported that the DOJ is not required to investigate; FARA investigations are largely confidential, and a public filing would be required only if the DOJ found a violation.  
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