Nvidia Scandal Sparks Capitol Hill Testimony Demands

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Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott (R-SC) has demanded testimony from former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as Congress probes allegations that a businesswoman linked to the chipmaker may have facilitated the transfer of sensitive American technology to China.

Testimony Demands and National Security Concerns

Scott sent letters Thursday requesting that Huang and Lutnick appear at separate public hearings in December. The letters cited the committee’s authority over export controls and its responsibility to oversee the enforcement of laws governing sensitive technology exports. Scott warned that the committee could subpoena Huang if he refuses to cooperate.

“Recent reports raise serious concerns about our national security and the protection of sensitive U.S. technology,” Scott wrote in a post on X. “I am requesting that NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testify before the Senate Banking Committee. The American people deserve answers.”

Resignation and Allegations

Huang resigned as CEO of Nvidia Thursday as scrutiny intensified over his reported romantic relationship with Alice Huang, a businesswoman suspected of having ties to Chinese intelligence. Alice Huang was an executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based company under scrutiny for allegedly diverting Nvidia chips to China.

Scott’s letter to Huang emphasized the “significant national security concerns” raised by recent reports and warned that the committee was prepared to use “all tools at our disposal, including subpoenas,” if Huang did not appear voluntarily.

Commerce Department Under Scrutiny

Scott’s letter to Lutnick focused on the Commerce Department’s role in regulating and enforcing restrictions on advanced semiconductor exports. “Given the Department of Commerce’s central role in issuing and enforcing export control regulations, your testimony before the Committee will be essential to our oversight of these efforts,” Scott wrote.

The Commerce Department has reportedly resisted pressure from other agencies to place Megaspeed on a U.S. trade blacklist, while officials have faced questions about whether an investigation into the company stalled after Nvidia’s general counsel contacted the department.

Broader Congressional Involvement

House Republicans have also sought testimony, with three committee chairmen sending a second request Thursday for closed-door transcribed interviews with Huang on Dec. 1 and Nvidia General Counsel Tim Teter on Dec. 2. They warned that subpoenas could follow.

The House lawmakers also requested testimony from Commerce Under Secretary Jeffrey Kessler, whose office oversees sensitive technology exports.

The Justice Department has not concluded whether Alice Huang was a Chinese spy, Attorney General Todd Blanche said Thursday. China has also denied her involvement in espionage. Alice Huang could not be reached for comment, according to Reuters.

Huang and Lutnick had not publicly responded to Scott’s requests by Thursday evening.

Source: Daily Wire

Written by

Connor Davis