Congress Summons Jensen Huang as Nvidia Spy Scandal Draws Investigations

Jensen Huang resigned as chief executive of Nvidia (NVDA) on Thursday after revelations that he had an affair with Alice Huang, an executive at Singaporean technology company Megaspeed and an alleged Chinese spy. Now Washington is moving: lawmakers are preparing investigations into how the affair may have affected U.S. artificial intelligence dominance and export controls.

GOP leaders immediately summoned Huang to Capitol Hill and said they would subpoena him if he does not agree to show up, during the six weeks Republicans still control both chambers of Congress. In January, Democrats, who take control of both chambers, are eager to make their mark with oversight of the administration.

Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott summoned both Huang and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify before his committee in December. Scott threatened to subpoena Huang if he does not appear. Scott wrote to Huang that recent reports raise serious concerns about national security and the protection of sensitive U.S. technology, and that the American people deserve answers. Commerce Department spokesperson Kristen Eichamer said in a statement that Lutnick had proactively agreed to appear voluntarily before the Banking Committee to address their questions. Lutnick's sons run Cantor Fitzgerald.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the likely incoming chair of the Senate banking panel, said Huang, Nvidia executives and Nvidia's board still owe Congress answers about the company's compliance with U.S. export controls. Sen. Chris Coons and Warren sent a letter on Wednesday to Lutnick, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller instructing them to preserve all documents and communications related to Nvidia's exports of advanced AI chips to China or to entities that may divert such chips to China.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast is actively negotiating for Huang to testify before House committees in the coming weeks, under oath and transcribed, possibly before Thanksgiving. If Huang does not willingly appear, Mast said he will subpoena him. Mast, along with House Select China Committee Chair Rep. John Moolenaar and House Intelligence Committee Chair Rep. Rick Crawford, sent a second request on Thursday to Huang and Nvidia general counsel Tim Teter, giving them an 8 p.m. ET Friday deadline to respond. Mast also sent a second request to Jeffrey Kessler, who leads the Bureau of Industry and Security.

The New York Times reported on Monday that Teter claimed in emails to Commerce investigators probing Alice Huang's company that he had been in touch with Kessler. The Commerce investigation into Megaspeed, which allegedly smuggled restricted chips to China, was then transferred to the Justice Department.

Some members of Congress have also called for an investigation into the role of the Bureau of Industry and Security, a subagency of the Commerce Department that manages and enforces export controls, in the scandal.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters on Thursday that he would expect follow-up given the high stakes for national security. Sen. Chuck Schumer said on Thursday that Congress must demand answers from Huang and others at Nvidia about how they may have put U.S. national security at risk.

Huang was one of the most effective voices for the artificial intelligence industry in Washington, able to toggle between leveraging his relationship with President Donald Trump and defending his industry from fears about AI's risks to lawmakers, according to one senior Democratic staff member who was granted anonymity. The staffer described Huang as a happy warrior for AI who stayed longer than scheduled for questions from lawmakers.

What is known versus unclear: lawmakers are investigating, and no finding of wrongdoing has been announced. Whether Huang will appear voluntarily, and what the investigations will conclude, remains to be seen. The next dated event is the December testimony before the Senate Banking Committee.