In recent months, the University has come under scrutiny for a $34 million federal grant to the Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID) meant to help rebuild the Russian economy. The program was under the leadership of Jones Professor of Economics Andrei Shleifer ’82, who is now under investigation for allegedly making personal investments in the Russian economy while advising the Russian government. Harvard was absolved of fraud charges in June, but could still face damages of up to $34.8 million in connection with the grant.

Corporation Senior Fellow and Chair of the Joint Committee on Inspections James R. Houghton ’58 said the University’s actions on the Kanki grant were not related to the HIID investigation.

“It was a large grant that we just felt in that part of that world needed controls,” Houghton said. “I don’t think that that’s an abridgement of academic freedom at all.”

Houghton said the University’s handling of the PEPFAR was not indicative of a broader effort to centralize control of government grants.

“Hyman is the one who brought it to us. We listen to that,” Houghton said.

“We’re not dealing with every grant that goes through the School of Public Health. If there are specific issues that come up with a grant, we deal with them, but otherwise, we don’t.”

Houghton said he had not seen Bloom’s letter to Kanki.

Kanki declined to comment for this article.

—Staff writer May Habib can be reached at habib@fas.harvard.edu.