The non-profit think tank Aspen Institute announced on Thursday that it had received an $8 million loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and that it will return the funds, according to The Hill.
“We believe that our application, which was made in the first week of the PPP,” the think tank’s official statement explained, “was consistent with the goals of the program. Upon listening to our communities and further reflection, we have made the decision to return the loan.”
The think tank is the latest organization to make such a high-profile return of federal funds, which were doled out by the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus bill, also known as the CARES Act. Others that have similarly returned loans include the L.A. Lakers, and – after much pressure from President Donald Trump and others – several Ivy League schools such as Harvard.