The Stanford Review article of June 1, using innuendo and speculation, incorrectly identifies a donor to Hoover as the chairman of the China Association for International Friendly Contact (CAIFC). The Review was told that they were wrong by China scholar Glenn Tiffert and asked not to publish a case of mistaken identity. The article admits that it does not actually know the identity of the named person “but the name, nationality, and the financial capacity implied by the gift most closely match” this senior CCP member. This is irresponsible and unconscionable.
As such, the Office of the General Counsel of Stanford, as well as appropriate federal and local authorities including the Department of Education, and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Select Committee on China have been notified of this misuse of leaked confidential reporting information.
We respectfully ask that the Review withdraw their story immediately.
The Hoover Institution has supported the efforts of dissidents and freedom fighters against authoritarian regimes, including China, for more than a century. That is why our archives hold so many treasured papers and testimonies of these brave people — given to us to protect their stories and preserve them for the historical record. Any support that the Institution receives is consistent with its mission and these values.
Condoleezza Rice
Director of the Hoover Institution and 66th Secretary of State
