House and Senate Republicans call on Howard Lutnick, Jensen Huang to testify about Nvidia
House and Senate Republican leaders are demanding answers from former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick over Huang's affair with an alleged Chinese spy and whether that relationship may have influenced business dealings involving Nvidia and China.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott, a Republican, sent letters to both Huang and Lutnick to publicly testify in front of the committee. It comes after Huang resigned as CEO of Nvidia earlier this week after reports that he had an affair with Alice Huang, a Chinese national and tech executive at Megaspeed who is accused of being a Chinese spy. Jensen Huang admitted to an affair, but he didn't say with whom.
Lawmakers have raised concerns about the national security implications of Huang's reported relationship given that he ran the world's largest computer chip manufacturer.
"Secretary Lutnick has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily before the Banking Committee to address their questions," said Commerce Department spokesperson Kristen Eichamer.
It's not yet clear when Lutnick will appear before the committee.
The committee is requesting Huang to appear on Dec. 3 with Chairman Scott threatening to subpoena Huang if he fails to voluntarily appear in front of the committee.
Meanwhile, top House Republicans have asked Huang to come in for a closed-door transcribed interview on Dec. 1 as the two sides have been in active negotiations.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford and Select Committee on Chairman John Moolenaar requested a written confirmation of Huang’s acceptance by 8 p.m. Friday, under threat of subpoena.
"Failure to cooperate with this request will result in the House Foreign Affairs Committee issuing a subpoena to compel your testimony in a format of the committee's choosing. Other committees also reserve the right to separately issue subpoenas to compel your testimony,” Thursday’s letter to Huang states.
Mast, Crawford and Moolenaar wrote in a statement that as "reports continue to come to light regarding Jensen Huang, NVIDIA, and Megaspeed, there are clear national security concerns that need to be addressed immediately."
The three chairmen also asked Nvidia’s General Counsel Tim Teter to appear for a closed-door transcribed interview on Dec. 2 "regarding AI chip smuggling, adversary military use of NVIDIA products, and recent public reporters regarding NVIDIA’s interference in U.S. export control policies and investigations, including those involving Megaspeed." Republicans requested a written confirmation of Teter’s acceptance by 8 p.m. Friday, saying they will issue a subpoena if they do not.
The requests for both men to testify come amid growing concern over potential Chinese espionage and whether any protocols at the Commerce Department were broken in their oversight of Nvidia’s chip exports to China.
Lutnick is being accused of delaying placing Megaspeed, a customer of Nvidia and Alice Huang's employer, on a list of companies that pose national security concerns, even as U.S. intelligence indicated that Megaspeed may have been diverting purchased Nvidia chips to China, something the company denies.
"Well, I want to wait and see if the allegations are true and what he has to say about it. But I'd be concerned. You know, the rumors are very concerning. The reporting is very concerning about it,” Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer told reporters on Thursday.
Republican Sen. John Curtis said "we need answers and accountability" from Huang and Lutnick "immediately."
"Jensen Huang's gross negligence exposed cracks in our national security, but Secretary Lutnick's reported stalling on export controls raises the question of whether the Commerce Department is acting in the best interests of the American people," Curtis wrote in a social media post.
House Republicans are seeking testimony on Dec. 3 from Jeff Kessler, the under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security "for a hearing on chip smuggling, adversary use of advanced AI chips, reported interference by private companies into export control policy and enforcement investigations, and Megaspeed."
